House of Commons Commission

Political Parties: Finance

Simon Jupp: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, with reference to the documents on Financial Assistance to Opposition Parties on the Parliamentary website, when the Commission plans to publish breakdown information on financial assistance given in 2022-23; and if the Commission will place a copy of that information in the Library of the House.

Sir Charles Walker: Details of expenditure relating to Financial Assistance to Opposition Parties received for financial year 2022–2023 is published in the House of Commons Members 2022–2023 Annual Report and Accounts (HC1685) which will be available on the Parliamentary website before the House rises for the summer recess.The National Audit office (NAO) complete an audit of the House of Commons; Members, this includes a breakdown of Financial Assistance to Opposition Parties.Once certified and agreed by the NAO the House of Commons Members Annual Report and Accounts can be laid, and then made available on the Parliamentary website.The budgeted allocations and breakdown for 2022–23 is available on the Parliamentary site:https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/freedom-of-information/information-we-already-publish/house-of-commons-publication-scheme/members-and-members-staff/financial-assistance-to-opposition-parties/House of Commons Members Accounts, Parliamentary site: https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/commons/resource-accounts/

Department for Transport

Department for Transport: DP World and P&amp;O Ferries

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has (a) made any payments and (b) awarded any grants to (i) P&amp;O Ferries and (ii) DP World since March 2022.

Mr Richard Holden: The Department for Transport has not made any payments for services nor awarded any grants directly to either P&O ferries or DP World since March 2022. The Department has however made the final payments under the Cabinet Office’s Port Infrastructure Fund to Port of Cairnryan, owned by P&O Ferries, and to London Gateway Ltd, which is also owned by DP World. These grants were originally allocated in 2020, and no further payments are expected. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has made a small number of bookings and payments via their contracted travel agent which involved using P&O ferries, for official travel to perform their operational duties. The total cost of this travel was £1,113.

Railways: Tickets

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Minister for Women and Equalities on the potential impact of the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement on the rights of rail passengers.

Huw Merriman: The Ticketing and Settlement Agreement is a contract between the Train Operating Companies and the Rail Delivery Group, and sets out the industry led process that train operators must follow when proposing changes to ticket offices. It is a long-standing and well-established process. Under the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement, when proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours (including closures) operators are required, amongst other things, to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of passengers. We would also expect operators to consider equality related needs of passengers and make this clear in the notice sent to other operators and passenger groups.

Railways: Franchises

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps to help ensure that rail operations run by the Operator of Last Resort are subject to the same level of public transparency as contracts with private sector operators.

Huw Merriman: The Department regularly takes steps to ensure it complies with its transparency obligations across all train operator contracts and aims for consistency between publicly and privately owned operators in the relevant information it makes public, including in relation to train performance, customer experience and satisfaction. The Operator of Last Resort (OLR) train operators are treated with equivalence to their private sector contractors in the way their contracts are managed, their performance assessed and addressed, the Department’s requirements of their business plans, budgets and any industry efficiencies expected. They are themselves subject to the Freedom of Information Act (2000) and the provisions of the Environmental Information Regulations (2004) and will provide information under their own Freedom of Information Act (2000) publication schemes. The Department publishes contractual and performance information relating to both National Rail Contract train operators and OLR train operators in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act (2000) on the Rail Public Register.

Electric Vehicles: Emergency Services

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the impact of ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 on (a) cost and (b) journey times of emergency service vehicles; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of (i) battery life and (ii) the availability of charging points for electric emergency service vehicles.

Jesse Norman: The Government recognises the efforts already being made by emergency services to transition to zero emission vehicles. British Transport Police has committed to moving its whole car fleet to electric by 2025 and NHS England announced last year that eight ambulance trusts are trialling new zero emission vehicles. The Government will continue to work with organisations, including the emergency services, to improve knowledge of zero emission vehicles and to give further support to the rollout of suitable charging infrastructure.

Department for Transport: Dahua Technology and Hikvision

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether their Department has purchased products manufactured by (a) Hikvision and (b) Dahua in the last three years.

Jesse Norman: There is no recorded spending with either company in the last three years.

Department for Transport: Artificial Intelligence

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) algorithmic and (b) other automated decision making systems his Department uses; and for what purposes.

Jesse Norman: Algorithms are used in various analytical processes and in modelling by the Department for Transport. These inform decisions, but ultimately decisions are taken by Ministers. The Department publishes a list of business-critical models and their purposes. This is available online, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dft-analytical-assurance-framework-strength-in-numbers/dft-register-of-business-critical-models-april-2021. The Department is developing an internal AI programme which will use algorithmic processes, for example to detect fraudulent grant applications and to streamline work processes. To date, none of these developmental systems has been used for automated decision making.

Railways: South West

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of closing train station ticket offices in Plymouth on the (a) safety and (b) accessibility of passenger rail travel in the South West.

Huw Merriman: When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours, including closures, operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of all passengers; and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. We would also expect operators to consider other equality related needs and make this clear in the notice sent to other operators and passenger groups. Together with industry, we want to improve and modernise the passenger experience by moving staff out from ticket offices to provide more help and advice in customer focused roles. No currently staffed station will be unstaffed as a result of industry changes, and train operators will ensure staff are well located to meet passenger needs in future.

Railways: Battersea

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of closing train station ticket offices in Battersea on the (a) safety and (b) accessibility of passenger rail travel in Battersea.

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the number of ticket vending machines that are accessible for blind and partially sighted people.

Huw Merriman: Industry is looking to make TVMs easier for passengers to use through upgrades and digitisation of more tickets and processes. Some TVMs have already been fitted with remote assistance facilities which can host a call with a remote ticket sales agent who can input customer requirements. Staff will remain available to help passengers to use TVMs or their own devices to purchase tickets. When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours (including closures), the train operating companies are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of all passengers. This includes ensuring that passengers can easily buy the right ticket for the journey they want to make, with consideration of the product range available at the station and what support is available to help with purchase.

Railways: Greater London

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of closing train station ticket offices in Streatham on the (a) safety and (b) accessibility of passenger rail travel in London.

Huw Merriman: When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours, including closures, operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of all passengers; and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. We would also expect operators to consider other equality related needs and make this clear in the notice sent to other operators and passenger groups. Together with industry, we want to improve and modernise the passenger experience by moving staff out from ticket offices to provide more help and advice in customer focused roles. No currently staffed station will be unstaffed as a result of industry changes, and train operators will ensure staff are well located to meet passenger needs in future.

Railways: Rural Areas

Dr Neil Hudson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of proposed train ticket office closures on the accessibility of transport in rural areas.

Dr Neil Hudson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of proposed train ticket office closures on tourism in rural areas.

Dr Neil Hudson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of proposed train ticket office closures on elderly people living in rural areas.

Dr Neil Hudson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of proposed train ticket office closures on rural communities.

Dr Neil Hudson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of proposed train ticket office closures on disabled people living in rural areas.

Huw Merriman: When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours, including closures, operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of passengers who are disabled; and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. Together with industry, we want to improve and modernise the passenger experience by moving staff out from ticket offices to provide more help and advice in customer focused roles. No currently staffed station will be unstaffed as a result of industry changes, and train operators will ensure staff are well located to meet passenger needs in future.

Railways: North East

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of closing railway station ticket offices in Tyne and Wear on the (a) safety and (b) accessibility of passenger rail travel in the North East.

Huw Merriman: When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours, including closures, operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of all passengers; and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. We would also expect operators to consider other equality related needs and make this clear in the notice sent to other operators and passenger groups. Together with industry, we want to improve and modernise the passenger experience by moving staff out from ticket offices to provide more help and advice in customer focused roles. No currently staffed station will be unstaffed as a result of industry changes, and train operators will ensure staff are well located to meet passenger needs in future.

Railways: Tickets

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of train ticket office closures on elderly passengers.

Huw Merriman: When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours, including closures, operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of all passengers; and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. We would also expect operators to consider other equality related needs and make this clear in the notice sent to other operators and passenger groups. Together with the industry, we want to improve and modernise the passenger experience by moving staff out from ticket offices to provide more help and advice in customer focused roles. No currently staffed station will be unstaffed as a result of industry changes, and train operators will ensure staff are well located to meet passenger needs in future.

Railways: Franchises

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what timeline his Department has in place for reletting train operation contracts under the control of Operator of Last Resort.

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what timeline is in place for the transition of train operating companies contracts from emergency recovery measure agreements and national rail contracts to passenger service contracts.

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to set out details of new Passenger Service Contracts with operators and potential operators.

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to hold the next market engagement day with potential train service operators.

Huw Merriman: Once market conditions allow, we intend to subject all contracts both private sector and those under the OLR, to competitive tendering. We are working to develop new Passenger Service Contracts to enable a return to competition in the market to drive value for money for customers and the taxpayer.   As the Secretary of State reaffirmed in the George Bradshaw address, we will enhance the role for the private sector as we deliver reform across the railways. Competition is essential to unlock the growth, innovation and efficiency that is required to create a sustainable model which delivers for railway customers.In the short term, we are working with the industry to introduce improved commercial incentives in existing contracts. We will consult with the market to develop and design the detail of these new contracts, before launching competitions in due course.

East West Rail Line

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Bedford to Cambridge section of East West Rail is still designated a nationally significant infrastructure project.

Huw Merriman: There has been no change to the designation of the East West Rail Project. In 2019 the then Secretary of State directed that the East West Rail Project between Bedford and Cambridge, as well as any associated matters, is nationally significant, and as such should be treated as development for which development consent is required, under section 35 of the Planning Act 2008. Due to this, East West Rail Co. will be required to make an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to obtain permission to construct and operate the railway.

Aviation: Security

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with (a) the Airports Operators Association, (b) Heathrow Airport Holdings Ltd and (c) other major UK airport operators on timetables for the installation of new screening technology since 15 December 2022.

Jesse Norman: The implementation of the Next Generation Security Checkpoint (NGSC) is an important improvement to UK airports’ ability to detect threats and keep airports, aircraft, passengers and crew safe. The Department and Ministers have had regular discussions with airports and those in the aviation industry regarding the implementation NGSC and the new technology that will be rolled out. This includes governance and engagement through the National Aviation Security Committee, which includes representatives from industry, government and policing. My officials have had close engagement with a number of airports including Heathrow Airport Holdings Ltd, to discuss the rollout of the new screening technology. Officials are also in regular contact with the Airports Operators Association (AOA) and provide regular updates to the AOA at their quarterly meetings.

Aviation: Fuels

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a Contract for Difference scheme for the domestic sustainable aviation fuel industry.

Jesse Norman: The Government’s sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) programme is one of the most comprehensive in the world. The Government is securing demand for SAF through mandating its use from 2025 and is supporting supply through its £165 million Advanced Fuels Fund competition to help scale up SAF production in the UK. SAF technologies are relatively new and many have not been demonstrated at full scale. Technology, construction and feedstock barriers to investment remain as well as revenue certainty. The Government has committed to work together with industry to consider the best way to help the aviation industry to decarbonise, including options for additional revenue certainty for a UK SAF industry to be provided via an industry funded intervention. This work is under way and the Department is awaiting the findings from several key pieces of work that have been undertaken by industry experts, through the Jet Zero Council’s Sub Delivery Group on SAF, to inform next steps.

Buses: Exhaust Emissions

Simon Lightwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2023 to Question 193239 on Buses: Exhaust Emissions, if he will list the Government schemes which will be funding the 4,233 zero emission buses

Mr Richard Holden: The following table presents information on the estimated number of zero emission buses that have been funded across the United Kingdom since February 2020. The numbers in this table are not official statistics: they are based on the latest information available and are therefore indicative and subject to change. The table includes zero emission buses funded by the devolved administrations. They have been able to make this investment as a result of ongoing funding support provided by the UK Government.  Funding schemeNumber of buses fundedZero Emission Bus Regional Areas Scheme1,342All Electric Bus Town or City Scheme275Transforming Cities Fund38City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement100Levelling Up Fund52Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme82Local transport authority funding43England Outside London1,932Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme (London)126Transport for London funding settlement1,290London total1,416England total3,348Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme (Wales)68Welsh Government funding50Wales total118Scottish Government funding558Northern Ireland Executive funding244UK total4,268

Buses: Exhaust Emissions

Simon Lightwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2023 to Question 193239 on Buses: Exhaust Emissions, how many and what proportion of zero emission buses funded through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme have been allocated per local transport authority.

Simon Lightwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2023 to Question 193239 on Buses: Exhaust Emissions, how many and what proportion of zero emission buses funded by the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (a) are and (b) will be built in Britain.

Mr Richard Holden: The following table presents information on the number of zero emission buses funded through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme by local transport authority. The numbers in this table are not official statistics: they are based on the latest information available and are therefore indicative and subject to change. Where available, information has been provided on the status of the buses and the name of the bus manufacturer has been included.Local Transport AuthorityNumber of buses fundedNumber of buses orderedBus manufacturerCambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority3030VolvoKent County Council3355 buses manufactured by Volvo.  Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.Leicester City Council114114108 – Wrightbus    6 – Pelican/YutongWarrington Borough Council105105VolvoSouth Yorkshire Combined Authority2744 – Alexander Dennis Ltd    Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.Norfolk County Council7070WrightbusNorth Yorkshire County Council390Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.Portsmouth City Council & Hampshire County Council6262WrightbusBlackpool Council1150Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.Nottingham City Council782424 - Pelican/Yutong    Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.Greater Manchester Combined Authority170170VolvoHertfordshire County Council*270Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.West Midlands Combined Authority1240Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.City of York Council5353WrightbusWest Yorkshire Combined Authority1365757 – Wrightbus    Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator.Oxfordshire County Council159159104 - Wrightbus    55 – Alexander Dennis Ltd    1,342853

Bus Services: Fares

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the average cost of bus fares in (a) North Shropshire constituency, (b) Shropshire and (c) England.

Mr Richard Holden: We do not routinely estimate the average cost of bus fares, but the Department does publish the local bus fare index quarterly which estimates the change in the average cost of bus travel to the passenger. Since 1 January 2023, the Department for Transport has put in place a £2 Fare Cap for singles bus fares which applies to the majority of routes in England outside London, which includes North Shropshire and Shropshire.

Railways: Compensation

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with rail operators on offering delay repay for train delays between 15-30 minutes.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to make it a condition in all future rail passenger contracts to for companies to provide delay repay for delays between 15-30 minutes.

Huw Merriman: Delay Repay compensation for delays from 15-29 minutes is in place at 12 out of 14 DfT contracted train companies. Any proposals to introduce Delay Repay from 15-29 minutes on further rail services would need to be assessed as affordable and considered against other proposals to improve rail services.

Aviation: Security

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will provide a list of the UK airports that (a) had installed approved liquid explosive detection systems prior to 15 December 2022, (b) have installed approved liquid explosive detection systems between 15 December 2022 and 10 July 2023 and (c) are expected to have approved liquid explosive detection systems installed prior to 22 July 2023.

Jesse Norman: All regulated UK airports have had the capability to screen for liquid explosives for several years, to ensure that items exempt from the restrictions introduced in 2006 can be safely carried on aircraft.

Department for Education

Schools: Finance

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to increase the weighting for disadvantage in the National Funding Formula for schools; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The Government is committed to providing a world class educational system for all pupils and has provided significant funding to achieve that. The National Funding Formula (NFF) distributes funding fairly based on schools’ and pupils’ needs and characteristics.The Department have now published the NFF for schools and high needs 2024/25, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-funding-formula-for-schools-and-high-needs. It will mean core funding will be at its highest ever level in real terms per pupil in 2024/25, as measured by the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). This demonstrates the Government’s commitment to ensuring every pupil receives a world class education.The NFF targets additional funding to schools which have the greatest number of pupils with additional needs. The 2024/25 NFF will target a greater proportion of funding towards deprived pupils than ever before. Over £4.5 billion, or 10.1%, of the schools NFF has been allocated through deprivation factors in 2024/25. Over £7.9 billion, or 17.8%, will be allocated for additional needs overall. This will help schools in their vital work to close attainment gaps and level up educational opportunities.On top of this core funding through the NFF, Pupil Premium provides additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils. Pupil Premium rates have increased by 5% in 2023/24, taking total Pupil Premium funding to nearly £2.9 billion. Pupil Premium rates for 2024/25 will be announced later this year, in line with the usual timetable.

Unemployment: Training

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people on Universal Credit have accessed Free Courses for Jobs skills provision in each of the last 12 months.

Robert Halfon: The free courses for jobs offer gives eligible adults the chance to access a high value Level 3 qualification for free, this includes those who are unemployed or claiming Universal Credit. The department is unable to identify Universal Credit claimants specifically but between April 2021 and January 2023 there were 39,430 enrolments on the offer, with 14,860 of those being from learners categorised as unemployed or claiming benefits. These figures are not available broken down for each of the past 12 months. The Department for Education will work closely with the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure people on Universal Credit have access to the 400 courses available on the offer, with many available to study online or part-time, and learners may be eligible to help paying for childcare, travel and other costs.

National Vocational Qualifications: Environmental Protection

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many NVQ Level 6 Environmental practitioner places were available for students in the North East of England during the last academic year; and how many students completed this course.

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of the availability of NVQ Level 6 Environmental practitioner degrees in the North East of England; and what discussions she has had with industry stakeholders on the availability of that course.

Robert Halfon: There is not a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in this subject at Level 6. There is, however, a Level 6 Environmental Practitioner apprenticeship.Apprenticeships are jobs with a substantial level of training available for career starters and those looking to upskill and retrain in over 670 high-quality occupations between Level 2-7.In the 2021/22 academic year, there were 50 starts on the Level 6 Environmental Practitioner (Degree) apprenticeship across England, with starts growing higher each year. There were no starts in the North-East in the 2021/22 academic year. Level 6 and 7 apprenticeship standards range from one to five years in duration, and typically take three to four years to complete. There are no recorded completions on this standard currently.The government wants to further accelerate the growth of degree apprenticeships across all regions and is therefore providing an additional £40 million in Strategic Priorities Grant funding over the next two years, on top of the £8 million investment in the 2022/23 financial year to support this.The department continues to regularly meet with higher education institutions in the North-East to discuss ways we can increase the uptake of degree apprenticeships. In addition, the department has made excellent progress on the national rollout of Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs), with employer representative bodies designated to lead the development of LSIPs in all 38 areas of England. This brings providers and employers together in one place to design provision that meets their needs.

Highcliffe School: Buildings

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to provide funding for the new classroom block at Highcliffe School; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: In December 2022, the Department announced the provisional selection of 239 more schools for the School Rebuilding Programme, including Highcliffe School.These schools have now been prioritised to enter delivery at a rate of approximately 50 schools per year, according to the condition need of their buildings.Highcliffe School has been initially scheduled for Group 2. Schools in this group are expected to enter delivery from April 2025. Where possible, the Department will bring projects forward if it is able to do so.

Department for Education: Remote Working

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the civil service headquarters occupancy data, updated on 6 July 2023, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of occupancy rates on her Department's performance during June 2023.

Nick Gibb: The Department’s approach to hybrid working, blending workplace and home working, supports officials to carry out vital work across skills, schools, and families. The Department also continues to work to bring education and business closer together, ensuring the skills programmes meet the needs of businesses now and in the future. This work is vital to deliver on the Government ambition to grow the economy and spread opportunity right across this country.The published data is for the Department headquarters, Sanctuary Buildings only and inferences about the wider workforce cannot be made from the data. The data does not capture working in other locations such as other government buildings, other workplaces or working from home. The published data are not Official Statistics.The Department is currently engaging with staff to further develop its approach to hybrid working based on what’s been experienced and learned since January 2022 to ensure it remains effective.

Pupils: Exercise

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing the amount of physical activity undertaken by young people at school.

Nick Gibb: The Department wants all schools to understand the importance of Physical Education (PE), sport, and physical activity in keeping pupils healthy, and the positive impact it can have on pupils’ wellbeing and educational outcomes.The Active Lives Children and Young People Survey is a national sample of 5 to 16 year olds conducted by Sport England, which is published annually. The headline data from the most recent survey for 2021/22 shows that the proportion of children who are active for an average of 60+ minutes a day has increased by 2.6% to 47% compared to the previous academic year, bringing activity levels back in line with those seen before the COVID-19 pandemic. The report states that there is a positive association between levels of sport and physical activity and levels of mental wellbeing, individual development, community development and loneliness. The full report can be found at: https://www.sportengland.org/research-and-data/data/active-lives.On 8 March 2023, the Department committed to £600 million across the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years for the continuation of the Primary PE and Sport Premium, which is funding to improve the quality of PE and sports in primary schools to help pupils benefit from regular activity.The Department is also funding up to £57 million to deliver phase three of the Opening School Facilities programme, which allows schools to open their sport facilities outside of the core school hours.Alongside this, £977,068.60 over three years has been made available to improve and increase opportunities for more girls to access competitive sport and sport leadership opportunities. Up to £900,000 has also been made available over three years to increase and improve opportunities for young people with special educational needs and disabilities to engage and participate in PE and school sport.The Department will shortly be publishing an update to the School Sport and Activity Action Plan. The plan will set out actions to help all pupils take part in sport and do more physical activity. It will align with the Government’s new sport strategy.

Erasmus+ Programme

John McNally: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to make changes to the Erasmus programme.

Robert Halfon: Erasmus+ is the European Union's programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe. Any changes to the programme are therefore for the European Commission to determine, and not the UK Government.

Work Experience: Special Educational Needs

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that children with special educational needs and disabilities have equal access to work experience.

Robert Halfon: The careers statutory guidance makes it clear that schools and colleges should offer every young person at least one experience of a workplace by age 16 and a further experience by age 18, in line with Gatsby Benchmark 6.The department funds the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) to support schools and colleges to provide high quality experiences of workplaces. The CEC undertake targeted work with employers to stimulate employer engagement that will support young people with special educational needs and disabilities. The department will continue to make the case for employers to provide work experience for young people with special educational needs.For young people aged 16 to 24 with Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans, the department offers Supported Internships which are personalised study programmes, specifically designed to help young people to prepare for and transition into sustained, paid employment.In February 2022, the department announced that it is providing funding of up to £18 million over the next three years to build capacity in the Supported Internships programme. The aim is to double the number of Supported Internships to give more young people with an EHC plan the skills to secure and sustain paid employment.As part of this funding, the department has a contract with the Internships Work consortium, led by the National Development Team for Inclusion, to deliver activities to expand and improve Supported Internships provision across the country.The Internships Work consortium will be working closely with local authorities to double the number of Supported Internships per year by 2025 and will engage with all partners in the system to level up the quality of internships across the country. Over 700 job coaches will be trained by 2025 to ensure interns receive high quality support on their work placements.Finally, in the Spring Budget 2023, the Chancellor announced up to £3 million to pilot extending Supported Internship to young people without EHC plans. Through this pilot, the department will seek to establish whether the Supported Internship model is an effective approach for learners with learning difficulties and disabilities but without an EHC plan. The department will identify the benefits and challenges of using the Supported Internship model to support this cohort and use learning from the pilot to consider if and how the approach could be rolled out more widely.

Vocational Guidance: Work Experience

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of career hubs for facilitating work experience for students.

Robert Halfon: Through the Careers & Enterprise Company and the network of Careers Hubs and Enterprise Advisers, the department is supporting schools and colleges to provide high quality experience of workplaces for pupils. In the ‘Skills for Jobs: Lifelong Learning for Opportunity and Growth’ white paper, the department set out its ambition to continue the extension of Careers Hubs across all communities in England. More than 90% of schools and colleges are now part of a Careers Hub.Evidence tells us that sustained engagement with Careers Hubs leads to wider and more intensive employer engagement, helping more learners have a chance to engage with a range of local sectors.81% of schools and colleges that have been in Careers Hubs since 2018 had at least 10 businesses involved in careers activity this year compared to 48% for those not engaged. As mentioned in the recent Education Select Committee for ’Careers education, information, advice and guidance’, 70% of schools and colleges currently have access to business advisers who are vital in supporting young people to access work experience.The department will continue to assess the effectiveness of this work and Careers Hubs more widely in facilitating work experience for young people.

Turing Scheme

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to publish mobility data for the Turing Scheme for the 2022-23 academic year.

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of Turing Scheme opportunities are (a) study, (b) work and (c) volunteer placements; and what proportion are (i) termly and (ii) yearly placements.

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Turing Scheme on the future (a) academic and (b) employment outcomes of participants.

Robert Halfon: The second year of the Turing Scheme has provided funding for placements in the 2022/23 academic year. Mobility data will be available after the end of the second year of the programme. This includes the proportion of mobilities that are study or work placements, as well as the duration of placements. The department intends to publish this data as soon as possible, following receipt of final reports from participating organisations in the Turing Scheme and requisite analysis and quality assurance of the data.Currently published information on the placements funded in the last two years by the Turing Scheme is available at: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/.The Turing Scheme aims to have a positive impact on the outcomes of its participants. One of the scheme’s objectives is developing key skills, so that participants develop the skills sought by employers. Applications are assessed on how well they will deliver on this objective.The department will shortly publish an independent evaluation of the Turing Scheme from its first year of operation, the 2021/22 academic year. This includes an assessment on the short-term benefits students experience in their studies in the coming months. Previous studies show that graduates who have studied or worked abroad are more likely to obtain a first-class honours or an upper second-class degree, have a job six months after graduating, and have higher earnings than their non-mobile peers. Information about this is available at: https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/sites/default/files/uploads/UUKi%20reports/Gone-Intl-2019.pdf.

Further Education

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce regulatory compliance costs for colleges.

Robert Halfon: Reducing costs by minimising burdens on colleges is critical. The department want to see money spent on quality provision, rather than on back-office overheads.Through our recent further education funding and accountability reforms, we have been simplifying the requirements we place on colleges, This has included streamlining funding pots and rules for apprenticeships. However, the department acknowledges that there is more to do. We are exploring how we can go further on funding simplification, as well as taking forward work to streamline our asks on data and audit.The department will continue to work closely with the sector and key partners, such as the Mayoral Combined Authorities, National Audit Office, and Office for Students to reduce activity and costs where possible.

Further Education

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many providers are delivering Level 4, 5 and 6 courses eligible for Advanced Learner Loan funding; and how many providers delivering these courses are registered with the Office for Students.

Robert Halfon: In academic year 2021/2022, there were 305 providers in England delivering Level 4, 5 or 6 Advanced Learner Loans funded courses. On 11 July 2023, 140 of those 305 providers were Office for Students (OfS) registered. These statistics can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-and-skills#explore-data-and-files.The Government has decided that the OfS will be the regulator of all providers for the delivery of Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE) funded provision. The OfS will consult on introducing a new category of registration for providers of courses formerly funded by Advanced Learner Loans, that are not registered with OfS. This includes initial and ongoing conditions that will be applicable for third category providers. More information on this can be found in the LLE consultation response, which can be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1140599/Lifelong_Loan_Entitlement_Consultation_Response.pdf.

Childcare and Pre-school Education: Finance

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department accounted for additional (a) heating and (b) travel costs experienced in rural areas in calculating the minimum funding floor for the early years supplementary grant for September 2023.

Claire Coutinho: The government recognises the current pressures faced by early years providers. That is why we are providing additional funding, through the early years supplementary grant (EYSG) from September 2023, for local authorities to increase the amount of funding paid to childcare providers for delivering the existing childcare entitlement offers.With the additional funding provided through the EYSG, the minimum funding floor for the 3 and 4-year-old hourly funding rate will increase from £4.87 to an effective £5.20 per hour, in line with the expected increase in the effective combined national average rate (which will increase from £5.29 to £5.62 per hour).The EYSG will be subject to conditions of grant which we expect to publish in September. The department’s intention is that local authorities must pass on the EYSG in full to early years providers.In order to recognise cost variations between local authority areas, the department has used the existing funding formulae for 2, 3 and 4-year-olds to determine the EYSG rates for individual local authorities. This means there will be variation around the average increases stated below.The existing funding system for 3 and 4-year-olds requires local authorities to set a local funding formula, which includes additional funding supplements. In their local formula, local authorities must have a deprivation supplement for 3 and 4-year-olds and are permitted to use other discretionary funding supplements, one of which is to recognise additional costs associated with rurality or sparsity, to enable local authorities to support providers serving rural areas less likely to benefit from economies of scale.

Climate Change: Education

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2023 to Question 190556 on Climate Change: Education, what her planned timeframe is for publishing the progress report on the implementation of the Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy.

Nick Gibb: As committed to in the Department’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, the Department will produce a progress report on the implementation of this strategy. The report is anticipated to be published in December this year.

Comprehensive Schools: Teachers

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teachers were employed by state comprehensives (a) in the most recent period for which data is available and (b) in 2019.

Nick Gibb: Recent data shows that there are now over 468,000 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) teachers in state funded schools in England which is an increase of 27,000 (6%) since 2010. This makes the highest number of FTE teachers since the School Workforce Census began in 2010.Of the 468,371 FTE teachers in England, 216,013 were employed by state funded secondary schools. Also, the data identifies that 10,603 (4.9%) were employed in fully selective state funded schools (grammar schools) and 204,647 (95.1%) in all other state funded schools (this includes non selective schools, some schools that are partially selective, and schools where admissions policy was unknown or reported as not applicable).187,630 (87.2%) FTE teachers were employed in schools non selective in their admissions, 10,603 (4.9%) were selective, 5,336 (2.5%) reported not applicable and admissions policy was not identifiable for 11,681 (5.4%). Individual figures do not sum to the total figure because they are based on school level information, whereas the total is based on a grossed national figure, which includes a measure of estimation to account for nil returns to the School Workforce Census.Information on the school workforce in England is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.Information on school admission policy is listed in Get Information About Schools (GIAS), which is the Department’s register for several organisation types, such as Schools and Multi Academy Trusts. These organisations maintain and can retrieve their details, such as whether their admissions policy is selective, using the GIAS website, which is available at: https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk.

Free School Meals: Greater London

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school students receive free school meals in (i) Enfield North constituency, (ii) the London Borough of Enfield and (iii) London.

Nick Gibb: Over a third of pupils in England now receive FSM in schools and colleges, compared with 1 in 6 in 2010. The Government has extended eligibility several times to more groups of children than any other Government over the past half a century. This includes introducing new eligibility criteria for families receiving Universal Credit, to ensure even more children are eligible FSM.The Department publishes annual data on free school meal (FSM) eligibility for pupils at schools in England. The most recently published data is for January 2023, and is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2022-23. Data for primary and secondary schools in London and Enfield Local Authority can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/7b574105-ac0c-4c93-311f-08db81f158b1.In Enfield North, 23.3% (1,724) of pupils in state funded primary schools, and 19.6% (1,168) of pupils in state funded secondary schools were eligible for FSM.

Secondary Education: Teachers

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average staff to student ratio was in secondary schools (a) nationally and (b) in Enfield North constituency in (i) 2019, (ii) 2020, (iii) 2021 and (iv) 2022.

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teachers in Enfield North constituency have left the profession in the last (a) one, (b) two and (c) five years.

Nick Gibb: Information on the school workforce, including the number of teachers leaving service nationally and pupil to adult and pupil to teacher ratios at national, regional and local authority level, is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.The requested figures for teachers leaving service by parliamentary constituency are not available.As at November 2022, the latest data available, there were over 468,000 full time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state funded schools in England, an increase of 27,000 (6%) since 2010. This makes the highest number of FTE teachers since the school workforce census began in 2010.The Department has taken action to improve teacher workload, working with teachers and head teachers to understand and address longstanding issues around marking, planning and data management. The Department continues to work proactively with the sector to understand the drivers behind workload and wellbeing issues, and to improve policies and interventions.The Department is supporting schools to act and remove unhelpful practice that creates unnecessary workload. The School Workload Reduction Toolkit, developed alongside head teachers, is a helpful resource for schools to review and reduce workload. Further information on the workload reduction toolkit can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-workload-reduction-toolkit.The Department also worked in partnership with the education sector and mental health experts to create the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter, which the Department is encouraging schools to sign up to as a shared commitment to promote staff wellbeing. So far, 2,600 schools have signed up to the Charter. The Charter is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-staff-wellbeing-charter.The table below provides the pupil to adult ratio and the pupil to teacher ratio for state funded secondary schools in Enfield North constituency and England for academic years 2019/20 to 2022/23.Pupil to adult and pupil to teacher ratios for state-funded secondary schools1 in Enfield North constituency and England, by year2019/20 to 2022/232 Enfield North constituencyEngland Pupil to adult ratio3,5Pupil to teacher ratio4,5Pupil to adult ratio3,5Pupil to teacher ratio4,52019/2011.615.811.916.62020/2111.615.811.916.62021/2212.216.411.916.72022/2312.416.812.016.8Source: School Workforce Census.1. Includes one all-through school.2. Workforce data as at November and pupils data as at the following January. For instance, 2019/20 relates to November 2019 workforce and January 2020 pupils.3. Pupil to adult ratio includes teachers and support staff (excluding administrative and auxiliary staff).4. Pupil to teacher ratio includes all teachers.5. The ratios are calculated using pupil numbers taken from the publication, Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.

Apprentices: Finance

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much from the public purse her Department ringfenced for the apprenticeship budget for England in (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24.

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much of the apprenticeship budget has been spent by (a) apprenticeship levy payers and (b) non-levy payers in each year since 2017.

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much the ring-fenced apprenticeship budget was in each year since 2017-18; and what proportion was raised by the Apprenticeship Levy in each of those years.

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the ring-fenced apprenticeship budget has been allocated to apprenticeship funding for non-levy paying employers in each financial year since 2017-18.

Robert Halfon: The UK government, via His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, collects an apprenticeship levy of 0.5% on total payroll from businesses across the UK with an annual payroll expenditure of more than £3 million. The amount raised by the apprenticeship levy is available in this publication: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk.From this, His Majesty’s Treasury sets an English apprenticeships budget for the department, and the devolved administrations receive a share of the funding calculated using the Barnett formula.The apprenticeships budget in England is used to fund the training and assessment of new apprenticeship starts for all employers of all sizes, both those who pay the levy and those who do not. The budget is also used to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training and any additional payments made to employers, providers and apprentices. Apprenticeships are employer led, and the department does not allocate a specific percentage of the budget to either levy paying or non-levy paying employers.The table below shows the total apprenticeship budget and spend in England in the last five financial years, with spend broken down by levy payers and non-levy payers. It also includes the budget for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years. In addition, the table reflects the spend on apprenticeships that started prior to the introduction of the levy, and the department’s spend on the operation of the wider apprenticeship system, such as the cost of running digital services, marketing and communications campaigns.Financial Year2017/182018/192019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24Apprenticeship budget £m2,0102,2312,4692,4672,4662,5542,585Levy spend2688641,1561,2511,592--Non-levy spend189528650557817--Spend on apprenticeships started prior to the introduction of the levy1,08630565227--Wider apprenticeship system spend4341483339--Total spend1,5861,7381,9191,8632,455--

Department for Work and Pensions

Child Maintenance Service: Complaints

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps his Department has taken to help reduce the backlog of complaints made to the Child Maintenance Service.

Mims Davies: DWP aim to contact customers within 15 working days to clear their complaint or agree how to investigate it if it will take longer. DWP now triage complaints giving priority to vulnerable claimants who may be at risk, and those with benefit payment issues. We continue to investigate all complaints as quickly as we can and, as part of the triage process, we write or call those customers, where there may be a delay in answering their complaint. Since 2021, Child Maintenance Service complaints team has seen their response times to complainants steadily improve and are now responding to almost all complaints within the timescale. The Child Maintenance Service do not have a backlog of complaints and continue to work within the department's acceptable levels.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding his Department has allocated to the Targeted Case Review initiative for financial years (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24 and (c) 2024-25.

Tom Pursglove: The information is available at Figure 7 on page 297 of the department’s Annual Report and Accounts published on 6 July 2023 [DWP annual report and accounts 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)].

Autism: Finance

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that autistic people are able to access the financial support to which they are entitled.

Tom Pursglove: We are committed to supporting people with autism to access the right benefits and the right support. This is why all healthcare professionals (HCPs) conducting WCAs receive training on assessing people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders during new entrant training and as part of their continuing professional development. The Health Transformation Programme (HTP) is modernising health and disability benefit services. It will create a more efficient service and a vastly improved claimant experience, reducing journey times and improving trust in our services and decisions. In Transforming Support: The Health and Disability White Paper, we also set out the actions we will take to ensure people have a better experience when applying for, and receiving, health and disability benefits, which includes people with autism.

Department for Work and Pensions: Autism

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has had recent discussions with representatives of people who have experience of autism on the formulation of his Department's policies.

Tom Pursglove: On 2 April 2023, World Autism Acceptance Day, we announced the launch of a new review into autism and employment. The review is being led by the Rt Hon Member for South Swindon and is exploring ways to increase the number of autistic people in employment and to improve retention rates. The review is focused on supporting employers to recruit and retain autistic people, identifying barriers to this happening and developing ways to overcome those barriers. During the evidence gathering stage of this review, we have engaged with representatives of people who experienced autism from a wide range of industries that include, but are not limited to: the employment sector, the education sector, local authorities, devolved administrations, autistic charities, technology experts and most importantly autistic people.

Department for Work and Pensions: Artificial Intelligence

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what (a) algorithmic and (b) other automated decision making systems his Department uses; and for what purposes.

Mims Davies: The Department does use algorithms and automated decision making in some services and processes, which allow us to improve accuracy, speed up delivery and free up colleagues’ time so they can support the people who need it most. A list of the services and processes which fall under Article 22(1) of the UK GDPR was contained in PQ187258. Review or appeal options are built in to all DWP benefit processes, even where this is not specifically required by data protection laws. The Department is always careful to process data lawfully, proportionately, and ethically with safeguards for the protection of individuals. DWP does not use Artificial Intelligence for automated decision making. DWP’s Personal Information Charter explains how and why we use personal information and citizen’s rights and responsibilities.

Statutory Sick Pay

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an estimate of the potential cost to the Exchequer of raising statutory sick pay.

Tom Pursglove: Payments of Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) are made by employers. Any indirect costs and benefits that would be derived to the Exchequer because of changing the rate of SSP would need to be assessed.

Cabinet Office

Prime Minister: Furniture

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much was spent from the public purse on the (a) design and (b) production of the lectern used by the Prime Minister at his press conference at the NATO summit in Lithuania on 12 July; which company was responsible for its (i) design and (ii) production, and how many models of the lectern have been purchased.

Alex Burghart: This lectern is owned by the British Embassy in Vilnius and I understand was purchased prior to 2010, and at least 20 years ago. The Cabinet Office would not hold procurement details regarding production and design from that time. As previously stated, lecterns are used and repurposed across government buildings.

Government Departments: Land

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an estimate of the average time it takes each Government Department to dispose of land; and whether he is taking steps to help reduce this.

Alex Burghart: Average disposal times for land sales are not centrally collected. These will vary depending on the nature of the land being sold. The Government Property Strategy commits to a smaller, better, greener estate, including raising £500m a year from disposals. Selling land expediently will help departments to meet this commitment.

Cabinet Office: CK Hutchison Holdings

Apsana Begum: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has held meetings with representatives of CK Hutchison in the last 12 months.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Details of Ministers’ and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK. Published declarations include the purpose of the meeting and the names of any additional external organisations or individuals in attendance.

Special Advisers: Redundancy Pay

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department’s publication of the numbers and costs of special advisers on 19 December 2018, what the net costs were of severance payments to special advisers in financial year 2017/18.

Jeremy Quin: This information is not held centrally.

Cabinet Office: Remote Working

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the civil service headquarters occupancy data, updated on 6 July 2023, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of occupancy rates on his Department's performance during June 2023.

Jeremy Quin: Civil Service headquarters occupancy is published weekly on Gov.uk with data going back to February 2022. The data can be accessed at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-headquarters-occupancy-data Occasional fluctuations in office attendance occur throughout the year, particularly during school holiday periods or as a result of transport disruption, such as rail strikes, are to be expected, but should not prevent civil servants from continuing to deliver vital public services. Ministers are clear that civil servants should be in the office where needed to drive delivery. No specific assessment has been made as outlined in the Honourable member’s question.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Energy Bills Rebate

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many households were (a) eligible for, (b) made an application for and (c) received an Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding payment in (i) Cynon Valley constituency, (ii) Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough, (iii) Wales and (iv) the UK.

Amanda Solloway: To deliver the energy support at pace the Department developed working assumptions based on estimates. For that reason, estimates of potential eligible households below should not be viewed as populations of households that were eligible for the scheme – but rather working assumptions used to develop policy and ensure funding was made available to local authorities for them to deliver the scheme in a timely fashion.RegionNumber estimated to be potentially eligibleCumulative Number applied as of 11 July 2023 Cumulative Number paid or approved for payment as of 11 July 2023Cynon Valley constituencyNot available180110Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough (data refers to local authority)2,200390230Wales38,30010,1606,890UK930,000216,490148,480

Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage: Finance

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to allocate the £20 billion of funding announced in the Spring Budget 2023 for early deployment of Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage.

Graham Stuart: The Government has commenced negotiations with Track 1 CCUS projects and networks. Initial funding will be allocated once these negotiations and necessary associated scrutiny have completed.

Electricity Interconnectors: Germany

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions he has had with the National Grid on the NeuConnect project for an electricity interconnector between the UK and Germany.

Graham Stuart: The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero closely engages with developers and relevant stakeholders to help facilitate the delivery of interconnection projects as part of the Government’s energy security and net zero strategy. In June, officials from the Department held a meeting with the National Grid Electricity System Operator and NeuConnect developers to discuss the progression of the project. Once completed, the interconnector would be the first direct link between the UK and Germany’s electricity grids.

Hydroelectric Power

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2023 to Questions 192706 and 192707 on Hydroelectric Power: Electricity Generation, for what reasons his Department has not listed the dates when Department has met with representatives from (a) SSE and (b) Drax.

Andrew Bowie: Ministers regularly meet with external stakeholders. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-energy-security-and-net-zero. Data covering the 1 January 2023 until 31 March 2023 is due to be published shortly. In line with Cabinet Office guidance, organisations are listed instead of individuals.

Hydrogen: Heating

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of (a) the compensation owed to (i) Cadent and (ii) Cheshire West and Chester Council and (b) other financial consequences following the decision to cancel the hydrogen heating village trial.

Graham Stuart: The Government is continuing to develop the proposal for a hydrogen village trial in Redcar, Teesside with Northern Gas Networks (NGN). We are no longer considering Cadent’s proposal for a trial in Whitby, Ellesmere Port. The costs incurred by the Gas Distribution Networks during the early planning and detailed design work for the hydrogen heating village trial were funded by Ofgem, with a contribution from the networks. A decision on whether to proceed with the village trial in Redcar will be made by the Government later this year.

Heating: Social Rented Housing

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support the installation of clean heat technologies in social housing.

Graham Stuart: The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), launched in 2020, will upgrade a significant amount of the social housing stock below EPC C up to that standard, delivering warm, energy-efficient homes, reducing carbon emissions and fuel bills, tackling fuel poverty, and supporting green jobs. Total committed funding for the SHDF and associated demonstrator is just over £1bn. Low carbon heating technologies compatible with the Standard Assessment Procedure may be installed under the scheme. As part of the 2021 Heat and Buildings Strategy, the Government committed to consider setting a new regulatory standard of EPC C for the social rented sector.

Alternative Fuel Payments: Travellers

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many (a) Gypsies and (b) Travellers living on Traveller sites have (i) applied for and (ii) received an Alternative Fuels Payment.

Amanda Solloway: The Government do not hold the data requested.

Energy: Meters

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many households in each region have meters on the Wide Area Network.

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has a strategy for replacement of meters on the Wide Area Network.

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many household meters on the Wide Area Network have been replaced in each year since 2021.

Amanda Solloway: The Data Communications Company (DCC) is obligated under the conditions of its licence to provide Wide Area Network (WAN) coverage to at least 99.25% of premises across Great Britain. There are currently 27.4 million meters connected to the WAN across Great Britain. The Government do not hold this data by region. Energy suppliers are obligated under the conditions of their licences to take all reasonable steps to ensure their customers’ smart meters are functional. This includes replacing meters that have reached the end of their life or have been found to be faulty. The Government do not hold data on how many meters on the WAN have been replaced since 2021.

Fuel Poverty

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of trends in the level of fuel poverty in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the rising cost of living on levels of fuel poverty in each of those areas.

Amanda Solloway: The Government has not made a recent assessment of trends in fuel poverty in these areas. The latest official sub-regional statistics for 2021 (published 27th April 2023) show the number of households in fuel poverty in Coventry North East Constituency was 11,400 (23.3%) and Coventry local authority was 28,525 (20.8). The latest official statistics for 2022 (published 28th February 2023) show for the West Midlands administrative area 489,000 (19.2%) and England 3,257,000 households (13.4%). Energy efficiency is the best way to tackle fuel poverty and the Government are delivering measures to fuel poor households and provided significant financial support last winter and further support is available for 2023-24.

Industrial Energy Transformation Fund

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to respond to the consultation on Phase 3 of the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund.

Graham Stuart: The Future of the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) Consultation opened on 26th June and closes on 21st July. This is an opportunity for stakeholders to shape the development of Phase 3 which will launch in early 2024. A formal response to the consultation will be published this year.

Industrial Energy Transformation Fund

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on decarbonisation of businesses not awarded funding from Phase 3 of the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund.

Graham Stuart: All applications for IETF funding are individually assessed based on the carbon and energy savings that their project will deliver, and the evidence they provide on how they will replicate and scale their chosen technology solution. Minimum scoring thresholds are used to ensure that projects that represent a good use of public money are funded, and the competitive process means that IETF funding will be allocated to the highest scoring projects, especially should the fund be oversubscribed. Unsuccessful projects are provided with feedback explaining the scores they achieved. DESNZ monitor the impact of all IETF projects supported and will publish a full impact evaluation once the data is available. The evaluation of the IETF performance will include survey feedback from unsuccessful businesses.

Drax Power Station

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2023 to Question 190540 on Drax Power Station, what estimate his Department has made of the potential cost to (a) consumers and (b) taxpayers of bringing two coal-fired units at Drax North Yorkshire plant out of retirement in winter 2023-24.

Graham Stuart: Pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2023 to Question 190540 on Drax Power Station, at the request of Government, National Grid Electricity System Operator undertook discussions with the operators of two winter 2022/23 contingency coal plants to establish whether these arrangements could be extended for winter 2023/24. Last winter this cost was in the region of £340m to £395m, subject to the resale of unused coal. Costs for winter 23/24 were expected to be lower as the coal stocks from the previous winter were expected to be available to use. These discussions have now concluded. Both Drax and EDF have confirmed that they will not be able to make the coal units available next winter and have begun decommissioning their coal units.

Drax Power Station

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2023 to Question 190541 on Drax Power Station, if he will place in the House of Commons Library a copy of the assessment of the impact of Drax bringing two coal-fired units out of retirement in winter 2023-24 on UK emissions.

Graham Stuart: Pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2023 to Question 190541 on Drax Power Station, at the request of Government, National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) undertook discussions with the operators of two winter 2022/23 contingency coal plants to establish whether these arrangements could be extended for winter 2023/24. These discussions have now concluded. Both Drax and EDF have confirmed that they will not be able to make the coal units available next winter and have begun decommissioning their coal units. Government considered the impacts on equalities, costs to consumers and on the environment in making the decision to request ESO explore extending the arrangements further. However, as ESO discussions with generators were at an early stage a full impact assessment was not carried out.

Energy Bills Rebate

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding payments were awarded by type of accommodation applied for in (a) Cynon Valley constituency, (b) Rhondda Cynon Taf local authority, (c) Wales and (d) the UK.

Amanda Solloway: The table below provides a breakdown of the numbers of households by accommodation types that were paid or approved for payment under the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF) in Wales and the UK. Breakdowns of the same data at constituent or local authority level would be disclosive. EBSS AF: Total number of households paid or approved for payment as of 11 July 2023RegionWalesUKCare Homes1,10020,740Farmers3507,750Heat Networks85017,930Home Owner3606,590House Boats102,950Park Homes1,80042,230Tenants in Council, Association or Temporary Accommodation89012,270Tenants in Private Accommodation70021,480Travellers and All Others83016,540

Department of Health and Social Care

NHS: Pay

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department are working on pay negotiations with unions that represent NHS staff.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Diabetes and Obesity: Drugs

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on the availability of GLP-1 medication.

Will Quince: There are global supply issues with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), which are licensed for treating patients with type 2 diabetes. This appears to be largely driven by off-label prescribing for weight loss, which has led to shortages of these medicines for patients with type 2 diabetes. We are working closely with national diabetes specialists, the National Health Service, wholesalers, all manufacturers of these medicines and the relevant regulatory bodies and agencies to address this problem and to understand how we can help ensure type 2 diabetic patients continue to get access to treatment.The Department routinely shares information about medicine supply issues directly with the NHS so they can put management plans in place to mitigate the risk of the shortages impacting patients.We have issued guidance in the form of a Medicine Supply Notification, addressing all GLP-1 RAs, advising healthcare professionals on how to manage patients requiring these medicines.

Brain Cancer: Genetics

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the number and proportion of patients diagnosed with glioblastoma who had received whole genome sequencing of their tumours before the end of 2022.

Will Quince: NHS England, supported by a Genomics Clinical Reference Group and Test Evaluation Working Groups, continually review the National Genomic Test Directory to keep pace with scientific and technological advances, while delivering value for money for the National Health Service. This review will include the genomic testing offer for patients with a suspected glioblastoma diagnosis, as per the eligibility criteria outlined in the National Genomic Test Directory. A robust, evidence-based process and policy is in place to ensure testing continues to be available for all patients for whom it would be of clinical benefit. The policy is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Updating-the-National-Genomic-Test-Directory-v1-Dec-2020.pdf The performance of the NHS Genomic Medicine Service is monitored quarterly through an assurance framework, which ensures all seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs are operating to national quality standards. This identifies and minimises any potential variation and ensures consistent delivery of the criteria outlined in the National Genomic Test Directory.

Memory Clinics: Waiting Lists

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July 2023 to Question 191286 on Memory Clinics: Waiting Lists, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including memory assessments for dementia in NHS England’s monthly diagnosis waiting times data; and if he will make this his policy.

Helen Whately: NHS England’s monthly diagnosis waiting times data cover a selection of imaging scans, physiological measurements and endoscopy exams. Possible changes to the list of tests are being considered and will be offered for consultation in due course.

Dementia: Enfield North

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the dementia diagnosis rate in Enfield North constituency.

Helen Whately: In December 2022, the recovery of the dementia diagnosis rate to the national ambition of 66.7% was included in the National Health Service priorities and operational planning guidance as part of the refined mental health objectives for 2023/24. This reinforces the importance of dementia as a key priority for NHS England and provides a clear direction for integrated care boards to support delivery of timely diagnoses within systems. North Central London (NCL) continue to perform well and met national targets in May 2023 with a dementia diagnosis rate for people aged 65 years and over of 67.2%, ranking ninth of 42 integrated care boards in England. Memory services in NCL are developing plans to ensure delivery against the Dementia Diagnosis Rate national ambition of 67%, is maintained throughout 2023/24.

Influenza: Vaccination

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential role of the community pharmacy sector in delivering annual flu vaccinations; and what steps he plans to take to support that sector to increase its capacity to deliver vaccines.

Maria Caulfield: No assessment has been made of the potential role of the community pharmacy sector in delivering annual flu vaccinations. Community pharmacies have demonstrated their commitment to delivering annual flu vaccinations with numbers increasing year on year. In the 2020/21 flu season, community pharmacies delivered over 2.76 million vaccines, increasing to over 4.79 million vaccines in 2021/22 and over 5 million in 2022/23. The upcoming NHS England vaccination strategy will set out the approach to delivering National Health Service vaccination and immunisation services.

Mental Health Services

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with mental health issues in each of the last five years; what types of treatment are provided to such people in secondary care; and how many such people received each treatment in each year.

Maria Caulfield: The information requested on mental health diagnoses is not available due to limitations of current diagnosis data within the Mental Health Services Dataset. Only around 20% to 25% of cases in the dataset have a specific diagnosis recorded, and any data provided on diagnosis numbers overall would therefore represent an undercount.Regarding treatment types, the National Health Service may offer a range of options, including talking and other psychological therapies, medications, arts and creative therapies, social prescribing and specialist inpatient services separately or in combination.Data relating to different types of treatment is recorded through the use of SNOMED codes. Not all providers are submitting SNOMED codes for the years requested and as such this incomplete data is not included in the response.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average time taken between referral to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and initial appointment is in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield and (c) London.

Maria Caulfield: This information is not collected in the format requested.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2023 to Question 191564 on Mental Health Services: Children and Young People, what the average waiting time is for a young person to access mental health services in Wirral South constituency.

Maria Caulfield: This information is not collected centrally at present as national access and waiting times standards for these services in England has not yet been defined or set.We are working with NHS England on the introduction of new waiting time standards for both children and young people’s community-based mental health services and urgent referrals across all ages to community-based mental health crisis services, as part of its clinically-led review of National Health Service access standards. A date for their introduction has not yet been set.

Care Quality Commission: Vacancies

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what percentage of staff posts were vacant in the Operations Group directorate of the Care Quality Commission in each of the last 18 months.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what percentage of staff posts were vacant in the Regulatory leadership directorate of the Care Quality Commission in each of the last 18 months.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what percentage of staff posts were vacant in the Engagement Strategy and Policy directorate of the Care Quality Commission in each of the last 18 months.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what percentage of staff posts were vacant in the Regulatory Customer and Corporate Operations directorate of the Care Quality Commission in each of the last 18 months.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what percentage of staff posts were vacant in the Technology Data and Insight directorate of the Care Quality Commission in each of the last 18 months.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the turnover rate in the Operations Group directorate of the Care Quality Commission was in financial years (a) 2020/21,(b) 2021/22 and (c) 2022/23.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the turnover rate in the Regulatory Leadership directorate of the Care Quality Commission was in financial years (a) 2020/21,(b) 2021/22 and (c) 2022/23.

Maria Caulfield: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is an executive non-Departmental public body of the Department. The information requested about the CQC’s staffing and vacancies is not held centrally.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 13 of the NHS Benchmarking Network's Children and Young People’s Mental Health Workforce Census, published in January 2023, if he will publish the full-time equivalent number of people working in NHS children and young people's mental health services in (a) 2016, (b) 2019, (c) 2021 and (d) 2022, by (i) job role and (ii) integrated care system region.

Maria Caulfield: There are no plans to do so. A breakdown of whole-time equivalents by job role for 2019, 2021 and 2022 is already available in the census report referred to. Integrated care systems were not formally established until July 2022.

Mental Health Services: Further Education and Schools

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many mental health support teams are in (a) schools and (b) colleges, broken down by region.

Maria Caulfield: Department for Education analysis shows that 398 mental health support teams are now operational, covering 3.4 million pupils and learners in England in 6,800 schools and colleges. A further 100 teams are in training, taking the total number of operational teams to approximately 500 by spring 2024. The current number of such teams in schools and colleges broken down by type of educational setting and by region is not available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in how many and what proportion of cases in which a fatal outcome was reported following covid-19 vaccination did a healthcare professional seek further information about the case; and how many and what proportion of such follow-up requests resulted in (a) further information and (b) no response being provided.

Maria Caulfield: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) acknowledge receipt of every Yellow Card report received and a team of safety experts follows up for further information as necessary, including all reports with a fatal outcome, based on the completeness, severity and clinical details provided in the report.Responses to follow-up requests for adverse drug reaction (ADR) reports are recorded and stored with the original report on the MHRA’s ADR database. The information is then passed downstream for use in signal detection and the identification of safety concerns. The data is available for its core purpose of assessment and signal detection; however, the systems were not designed to quantify the follow-up metrics requested. As such, it is not possible to automatically generate metrics on the proportion of follow-up requests sent, or those which resulted in further information being received.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Medical Treatments

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in each of the last five years; what types of treatment are provided to such people in secondary care; and how many such people received each treatment in each year.

Maria Caulfield: The information requested is not available due to the limitations of current diagnosis data on within the Mental Health Services Dataset. Only around 20% to 25% of cases in the dataset have a specific diagnosis recorded; any data provided on obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) diagnoses would therefore represent an undercount.Regarding treatment types, the National Health Service may offer talking therapies and medication, such as antidepressants, separately or together. Talking therapies for OCD may include, but are not limited to, cognitive behavioural therapy, exposure and response prevention, and group therapy.Procedure data relating to different types of treatment is recorded through the use of SNOMED codes. Not all providers are submitting SNOMED codes for the years requested and as such this incomplete data is not included in the response.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield and (c) London.

Maria Caulfield: We are investing an additional £2.3 billion per year by March 2024 to enable an extra two million people in England, including 345,000 children and young people, and including those in the Enfield area and across London more widely, to access National Health Service-funded mental health support.We also provided an additional £500 million for 2021/22, targeting those groups whose mental health has been most affected by the pandemic including children and young people. Within the £500 million, £79 million was invested to allowed around 22,500 more children and young people to access community health services, 2,000 more to access eating disorder services and a faster increase in the coverage of mental health support teams in schools and colleges.  £13 million was invested to ensure young adults aged 18 to 25, including university students, are supported with tailored mental health support, helping bridge the gap between children’s and adult services.This additional funding has accelerated coverage of mental health support teams across the country. As of spring 2022, 287 mental health support teams were in place in 4,700 schools and colleges, covering 26% of pupils in England. This means that we achieved 25% coverage a year earlier than planned.There are now almost 400 mental health support teams in place, covering over 3 million children or around 35% of pupils in schools and colleges, with over 500 planned to be up and running by 2024.Over 10,000 schools and colleges have trained a senior mental health lead, including more than six in ten state-funded secondary schools in England.In February, NHS England published the outcomes of its consultation on the potential to introduce five new access and waiting time standards for mental health services, including that children and young people should start to receive care within four weeks from referral, as part of its clinically-led review of National Health Service access standards. We are now working with NHS England on the next steps.

Domestic Accidents: Safety Measures

Matt Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what budget his Department has allocated to fall prevention initiatives in the 2023-24 financial year.

Matt Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide a breakdown the allocation of funding in the fall prevention budget.

Neil O'Brien: This information is not held centrally.NHS England is responsible for funding allocations to integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs then decide how that money is spent within the local integrated care system.The allocations process is independent of Government and NHS England takes advice on the underlying formula from the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation.NHS England produces a target allocation, or “fair share”, for each area, based on a complex assessment of factors, such as demography, morbidity, deprivation and the unavoidable cost of providing services in different areas.

Pharmacy: Greater London

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of pharmacies in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield and (c) London.

Neil O'Brien: The consolidated pharmaceutical list is published once per quarter and can be accessed via the NHS Business Services Authority Open Data portal, which is available at the following link:https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/consolidated-pharmaceutical-listThis shows that as of March 2023 there were 12 pharmacies in Enfield North, 59 in the London Borough of Enfield and 1,808 pharmacies in London.

Locums: Nurses

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of allowing locum nurse practitioners to contribute to existing NHS pension funds.

Will Quince: The NHS Pension Scheme is an occupational scheme, and locum nurse practitioners cannot access the scheme if they are employed via an agency or are self-employed.No assessment has been made of the impact of allowing locum nurse practitioners to join the scheme.It would be possible for longer-term locum staff to become substantively employed on fixed-term contracts as a flexible resource, for instance by primary care organisations. In doing so, they would have access to the scheme.

Osteoporosis: Fractures

Matt Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of joint working between (a) health services, (b) social care services and (c) local councils on the prevention of fractures caused by osteoporosis.

Will Quince: The integration white paper, ‘Joining up care for people, places and populations’, published on 9 February 2022, set out opportunities to progress further to join up health and social care services at a local level for citizens in England.To support this joint working, the Government will invest £1.6 billion over the next two years through the Better Care Fund to improve hospital discharge and outcomes for people with long term conditions, including osteoporosis.The Government has also set out national requirements for local authorities and integrated care boards to jointly spend nearly £17 billion over the next two years to invest in preventative services and tackle delayed discharges.The Major Conditions Strategy is an opportunity to tackle musculoskeletal conditions, including osteoporosis, to improve outcomes for patients. The strategy will set out a clear vision for musculoskeletal conditions, covering treatment and prevention.

Hypothermia

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2023 to Question 191671, what data his Department holds on ambulance call-outs for hypothermic conditions in the last five years.

Will Quince: The Department does not hold the data requested.

Brain Cancer: Genetics

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of glioblastoma patients who are offered whole genome sequencing.

Will Quince: Genomic testing for glioblastoma is included in the National Genomic Test Directory. Testing can be delivered using a range of technologies, including whole genome sequencing or Next Generation Sequencing technology (large cancer gene panels) to ensure that a patient receives the most appropriate genomic testing depending on their individual circumstances. Anyone who meets the eligibility criteria outlined in the National Genomic Test Directory will be able to access this genomic testing. In addition, glioblastomas are one of four cancer indications included in an innovative £26 million programme, led by Genomics England in partnership with the National Health Service, to evaluate cutting-edge genomic sequencing technology to improve the accuracy and speed of cancer diagnosis.Genomics England are also collaborating with a lead researcher to support research into glioblastomas through the Brain Matrix study. Patients who have consented to this study will have whole genome sequencing performed via the NHS Genomic Medicine Service. Further information about the study is available at the following link:https://www.thebraintumourcharity.org/media-centre/news/research-news/brain-matrix-pioneering-research-to-improve-treatments-for-gliomas/

Arthritis: Health Services

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to collect feedback from people with arthritis who use surgical hubs.

Will Quince: The Department values the importance of patient feedback on all National Health Service services, including from patients with arthritis who use NHS surgical hubs. It is up to individual integrated care systems and NHS trusts to decide how they collect patient feedback.The NHS Friends and Family Test was created to help service providers and commissioners understand whether patients are happy with the service provided, or where improvements are needed. It is a quick and anonymous way for patients to give their views after receiving NHS care or treatment. Patients are also encouraged to give feedback by speaking to a member of staff or by leaving a review on the relevant services on nhs.uk.

Health: Disadvantaged

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle health inequalities in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England.

Neil O'Brien: In the white paper ‘Levelling Up the United Kingdom’, published in February 2022, the Government set out a levelling up health mission to narrow the gap in healthy life expectancy (HLE) between local areas where it is highest and lowest by 2030, and increase HLE by five years by 2035. A range of action is being taken forward which will support progress on the health mission, including the development of a Major Conditions Strategy on which an interim report will be published in the summer.The Office of Health Improvement and Disparities’ (OHID) regional teams work closely with Local Directors of Public Health to ensure the ring-fenced public health grant funds evidence-based activity to improve health and tackle health inequalities. The public health grant funding allocated to Coventry for 2023/24 was £23,962,345. In addition to the grant, an additional £709,229 was allocated to invest in the local authority’s drug misuse services as part of the National Drug Strategy.Coventry is one of 75 English local authority areas receiving funding through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme. This programme aims to improve outcomes for babies, children and families by improving access to local services, with a particular focus on the first 1001 days from conception to age two. This will contribute to a reduction in inequalities in health and education outcomes in Coventry, the West Midlands, and across England. Coventry is also one of the existing Targeted Lung Health Check pilots which have been rolled out to deprived areas with the highest level of lung cancer mortality. TARGET DATE 18/07/2023OHID’s regional team works alongside NHS England Midlands and integrated care systems to tackle healthcare inequalities embedding the Core20PLUS5 for children and adults. The approach defines a target population, the ‘Core20PLUS’, and identifies ‘5’ focus clinical areas requiring accelerated improvement. Work continues with West Midlands Combined Authority to take forward a health in all policies approach across the wider determinants of health.

NHS: Staff

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an estimate of how many NHS workers will transfer to another NHS career under the NHS Workforce Plan.

Will Quince: No estimate has been made on the transfer of National Health Service staff from one role to another.

Health Services: Waiting Lists

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of which NHS Trusts (a) were and (b) were not on track to meet their 18 month targets in the elective recovery plan as of 1 July 2023.

Will Quince: Thanks to the work of National Health Service staff, we have now virtually eliminated waits of over 18 months, in line with the targets set out in the elective recovery plan.The most recently published NHS England management information showed that on 2 July there were 7,363 patients waiting over 18 months, a reduction of over 94% from the peak of 125,000 in September 2021. As of 2 July, 31 trusts have no patients waiting 18 months or more, whilst 114 of the 136 trusts have less than 100 remaining.

NHS: Absenteeism

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2023 to Question 191949 on NHS: Absenteeism, what assessment he has made of the increases in the NHS staff absence rate since 2019; and what is the highest recorded NHS staff absence rate.

Will Quince: NHS England publish data on sickness absences monthly. The latest data shows that the total staff absence rate as of February 2023 was 5.00%. This is lower than the peak in January 2022 when the rate was 6.69% but slightly higher than the pre-pandemic rate of 4.51% in February 2019.The pattern of high sickness absence in the National Health Service in 2022 is consistent with sickness absence rates across the economy. Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows that in 2022, the national sickness absence rate for the United Kingdom was the highest it has been since 2004.The high level of sickness absence is at least partly caused by high levels of COVID-19 in 2022. ONS data shows that the official reported estimate of the percentage of the population testing positive for COVID-19 peaked between 27 March and 2 April 2022, at 7.6%, whilst the latest data for 7 March to 13 March 2023 shows a rate of 2.7%. Further information can be found at the following link:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/datasets/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveyheadlineresultsuk

Department of Health and Social Care: Dahua Technology and Hikvision

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether their Department has purchased products manufactured by (a) Hikvision and (b) Dahua in the last three years.

Will Quince: As has been the case under successive administrations, it is not Government policy to comment on the security arrangements of Government buildings. Specific details regarding security systems are withheld on national security grounds.

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the NHS has commissioned research into the potential impact of (a) Covid-19 and (b) Covid-19 vaccines on the (i) diagnosis and (ii) treatment of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.

Will Quince: The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Vaccines must be tested in a wide range of studies, including clinical trials to establish their efficacy and safety, and have a product licence, known as a “marketing authorisation” before they can be made available for widespread use in humans. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NIHR has allocated over £110 million in funding for COVID-19 vaccine research that has included consideration of vaccine safety and robust monitoring of adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines.The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including vaccine side effects.

General Practitioners

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many GP appointments were booked through the NHS app in each of the last 12 months.

Will Quince: The latest statistics for the number of general practitioner (GP) appointments booked through the NHS App in each of the last 12 months up to May 2023 are as follows:MonthTotal Number of GP appointmentsJune 2022130,684July 2022126,567August 2022155,149September 2022212,779October 2022204,247November 2022173,320December 2022136,525January 2023199,107February 2033165,217March 2023179,331April 2023153,212May 2023175,208

Surgery: Waiting Lists

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people used the My Planned Care platform (a) in total, (b) to access personalised advice for managing their own health and (c) to choose a different healthcare provider in each of the last 12 months.

Will Quince: Since My Planned Care was launched in February 2022, there have been 1.1 million unique users who have used the patient platform. Since February 2022 there have been 7.56 million page hits within My Planned Care on the provider pages, which includes both waiting time and health advice. We do not have information available across England on the number of patients who have chosen to move provider to receive earlier treatment. There are a number of approaches to managing this process, which are overseen by integrated care boards.

Chronic Illnesses: Active Travel

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the potential merits of integrating the work of Active Travel England with the Major Conditions Strategy.

Neil O'Brien: Ministers from the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Transport met earlier this year, along with the Chief Medical Officer for England and the Chief Executive of Active Travel England, to discuss how both Departments can work together to promote active travel and realise its health benefits. Officials are also exploring whether and how the forthcoming Major Conditions Strategy could outline the role of active travel in helping to reduce risk factors for those major conditions.

Pharmacy: Higher Education and Training

Simon Jupp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase pharmacist (a) training and (b) university places.

Simon Jupp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme on recruitment for community pharmacies.

Simon Jupp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help community pharmacies to recruit from overseas.

Simon Jupp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with (a) NHS England and (b) the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee on funding for community pharmacies through the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework for (i) 2024-25 and (ii) 2025-26.

Neil O'Brien: The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan (LTWP), backed by over £2.4 billion to fund additional education and training places over the next five years, sets out the steps the National Health Service and education providers need to take to deliver an NHS workforce that meets the changing needs of the population over the next 15 years. The ambition is to increase training places for pharmacists by nearly 50% to around 5,000 by 2031/32, and to grow the number of pharmacy technicians.The LTWP also commits to extend the success of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, which has delivered an additional 29,000 multi-professional roles in primary care. This expansion will consider the additional capacity required to staff roles across primaryTARGET DATE 18/07/2023care, including community pharmacy. NHS England have committed to undertake and publish a review of the scheme by the end of 2023.Overseas pharmacy professionals must meet the same standards as United Kingdom pharmacy professionals. The General Pharmaceutical Council has recently written to accredited educational providers to highlight the demand for places from overseas professionals and students, and a limited number of additional places have been created.The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) 2019-24 five-year deal ends at the end of March 2024. We are currently consulting Community Pharmacy England on the implementation of the pharmacy proposals in the delivery plan for recovering access to primary care. The funding for those proposals covers 2023/24 and 2024/25. There are regular discussions with NHS England about NHS funding. No discussions have been had with Community Pharmacy England about CPCF funding from March 2024.

Cycling: Health

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing people from lower socio-economic backgrounds free access to bicycles; and if he will take steps to pilot such a scheme to assess impacts on participants physical and mental health.

Neil O'Brien: A programme of Active Travel Social Prescribing pilots has been established by the Department for Transport, managed by Active Travel England, and involving a range of other Government Departments and agencies including the Department of Health and Social Care. Local authorities involved in the pilots will be able to fund services such as cycle libraries and cycle loans to improve people’s access to cycles. The pilots are focussed on communities identified as areas of high need in that they typically experience relatively poor health, low levels of physical activity and high levels of deprivation. The Department for Transport and the Department of Health and Social Care will work together on assessing the health impacts of these and other active travel schemes.

Diabetes: Ophthalmic Services

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were given routine digital screening for diabetic retinopathy in the last 12 months.

Will Quince: 31 December 2022 3,009,511 people with diabetes were offered routine digital screening (RDS) for diabetic retinopathy. From those 2,356,894 (78.3%) people attended a RDS appointment where images were captured.Health is a devolved matter and figures provided are for the NHS in England only.

Smoking

Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of (a) vapes, (b) nicotine gum, (c) nicotine patches, (d) nicotine pouches and (e) other alternatives to smoking in helping to reduce the prevalence of smoking.

Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) e-cigarettes, (b) heat-not-burn products and (c) other reduced-risk products to help reduce the prevalence of smoking.

Neil O'Brien: Our assessment is that nicotine replacement therapy, such as gum and patches, as well as vapes, alongside behavioural support from stop smoking services, are the most effective ways to reduce smoking. This assessment is based on the ‘Nicotine vaping in England’ report published in September 2022, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline PH209, ‘Tobacco: preventing uptake, promoting quitting and treating dependence’ published in 2021.The 2022 ‘Nicotine vaping in England’ report also includes a chapter on heated tobacco products. Although there is currently a limited evidence base on the health harms presented by heated tobacco products, it is clear that they do pose harm to users. The Government does not recommend use of these products and encourages users to quit. There is limited research and evidence into the harms of nicotine pouches and their ability to support smoking quit attempts. However, in April this year the Committee on Toxicity published their ‘Statement on the bioavailability of nicotine from the use of oral nicotine pouches and assessment of the potential toxicological risk to users’, which is available at the following link:https://cot.food.gov.uk/Statement%20on%20the%20bioavailability%20of%20nicotine%20from%20the%20use%20of%20oral%20nicotine%20pouches%20and%20assessment%20of%20the%20potential%20toxicological%20risk%20to%20users

Ambulance Services: Electric Vehicles

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many ambulances in England are (a) currently electric and (b) are scheduled to be electric by 2030.

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what percentage of ambulances in England are (a) currently electric and (b) will be electric by 2030.

Helen Whately: NHS England advise that there is currently one electric ambulance in operation. NHS England is working with industry partners and four ambulance trusts to pilot second generation electric ambulance vehicles, with 11 electric ambulances on order to be delivered in 2023/24. It is not possible to accurately estimate how many and what proportion of ambulances will be electric by 2030. A number of factors will impact adoption including technological development, cost, and the availability of charging facilities. However, by 2030 NHS England expect all new emergency ambulance vehicles in England will be emission free (electric or hydrogen powered).

Dementia: Research

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much Government funding was allocated to dementia research in each of the last five years.

Helen Whately: Government responsibility for delivering dementia research is shared between the Department for Health and Social Care, with research delivered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation, mainly by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).The amount spent by these funders, excluding the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council and Innovate UK, on dementia research for the last five years of available data is shown in the table below.Year2017/182018/192019/202020/212021/22NIHR£43 million£31.6 million£29 million£21.9 million£31.3 millionMRC£34.9 million£56.5 million£44 million£46.9 million£41.6 millionESRC£4 million£7.4 million£5.9 million£8 million£7.4 millionTotal£81.9 million£95.5 million£78.9 million£76.8 million£80.3 million Spend for dementia research is calculated retrospectively and is usually finalised around eight months after the end of the financial year. Therefore, 2021/22 is the most recent year we have full data for.

Dementia: Research

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) funding and (b) initiatives are planned for Northern Ireland under the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission.

Helen Whately: We want all parts of the United Kingdom to play a role in the delivery of the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission, and for patients and communities across the UK to benefit from its work. However, expenditure and delivery plans are still in development and we cannot at this stage confirm what funding or initiatives are planned for Northern Ireland.

Electronic Cigarettes: Sales

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that Trading standards are helping to prevent the illicit sale of vapes.

Neil O'Brien: The Government is working closely with Trading Standards to prevent the illicit sale of vapes. On 11 April 2023, we announced £3 million of funding for National Trading Standards for a new specialised illicit vaping enforcement squad. This squad will tackle underage vape sales as well as removing illicit products from the market.National Trading Standards have now begun the operation, gathering intelligence, training staff and bolstering capacity, and will begin field work operations in the autumn.

Social Prescribing: Health

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effectiveness of social prescribing in improving (a) physical and (b) mental health.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of including swimming in social prescribing.

Helen Whately: The Department continues to work to understand the effectiveness of social prescribing to enhance physical and mental health building on existing positive local evidence.As part of our commitment to the cross-Government, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)-led Green Social Prescribing Programme, we have commissioned and funded three clinical research feasibility studies that could lead to full Randomised Controlled Trials via the National Institute for Health and Care Research. These studies aim to test the effectiveness of nature-based activities on mental health outcomes, including outdoor swimming as a nature-based intervention for depression, angling to treat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and work with Newquay Orchard and the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust. The Department expects decisions to be made soon on whether they will proceed to full scale trials.

Electronic Cigarettes: Packaging

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the use of plain packaging for vapes in (a) Israel and (b) Finland.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will build a cross-department public health strategy to address vaping by children.

Neil O'Brien: Protecting children from the risks of vaping is a key Government priority. The Prime Minister announced on 30 May that we will update the health education curriculum to teach kids about the risks of vaping. To support this, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is producing a new resource pack for schools on vaping for the start of the new academic year. These resources build on other content we have produced for young people on the FRANK and Better Health websites, and input to educational resources produced by partners including the PSHE Association. No assessment has been made of the implications for Government policies of the use of plain packaging for vapes introduced in Israel and Finland. However, we are currently analysing a range of evidence, including international, submitted as part of our call for evidence on youth vaping.There are no current plans to build a cross-Department public health strategy to address youth vaping. We continue to work jointly across Government to address vaping by children.

Electronic Cigarettes: Health Hazards

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to warn children and young people about the harmful content of single use vapes.

Neil O'Brien: Protecting children from the risks of vaping is a key Government priority. The Prime Minister announced on 30 May that we will update the health education curriculum to teach kids about the risks of vaping. To support this, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is producing a new resource pack for schools on vaping for the start of the new academic year. These resources build on other content we have produced for young people on the FRANK and Better Health websites, and input to educational resources produced by partners including the PSHE Association. No assessment has been made of the implications for Government policies of the use of plain packaging for vapes introduced in Israel and Finland. However, we are currently analysing a range of evidence, including international, submitted as part of our call for evidence on youth vaping.There are no current plans to build a cross-Department public health strategy to address youth vaping. We continue to work jointly across Government to address vaping by children.

Obesity: Children

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of childhood obesity levels in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England; and what steps his Department is taking to tackle childhood obesity in each of those areas.

Neil O'Brien: The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) collects data on children aged four to five years old (Reception) and 10 to 11 years old (Year 6). Data on obesity prevalence from the NCMP in the academic year 2021-22 is provided in the table below. Data is not available at Parliamentary constituency level but is available at local authority, regional and England levels. Percentage of children living with obesityAreaReception (%)Year 6 (%)Coventry10.426.7West Midlands11.326.2England10.123.4 Local authorities and the National Health Service provide weight management services to support children and families to achieve and maintain a healthier weight. Local authorities can fund behavioural weight management services from their Public Health Grant. In England, new regulations on out-of-home calorie labelling for food sold in large businesses, including restaurants, cafes and takeaways, came into force in April 2022. Restrictions on the placement of less healthy products in key selling locations in store and online came into force on 1 October 2022. The location restrictions are the single most impactful obesity policy in reducing children’s calorie consumption, and are expected to accrue health benefits of over £57 billion and provide NHS savings of over £4 billion over the next 25 years. We are also working with the food industry to make further progress on reformulation and ensure it is easier for the public to make healthier choices. We have seen important successes including the average sugar content of drinks subject to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy decreasing by 46% between 2015 and 2020. There has also been success in some categories of the sugar reduction programme, including a 14.9% reduction of sugar in retailer- and manufacturer-branded breakfast cereals and a 13.5% reduction in yogurts and fromage frais.

Dental Services: Rural Areas

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of NHS dentists in rural areas.

Neil O'Brien: We acknowledge that there are areas of the country that are experiencing recruitment and retention issues and we are taking steps to address the National Health Service dental workforce challenges across the country.The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, published on 30 June, sets out the steps the National Health Service and its partners need to take to deliver an NHS workforce that meets the changing needs of the population over the next 15 years. These include a 40% increase to dentistry undergraduate training places by 2031/32. To support this ambition, we will expand places by 24% by 2028/29, taking the overall number that year to 1,000 places.Furthermore, our plan for dentistry will be published shortly to build upon a package of improvements to the NHS dental system announced in July 2022.

Musculoskeletal Disorders: Health Services

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding his Department plans to provide for the rollout of musculoskeletal first contact practitioner services in general practice.

Neil O'Brien: We remain committed to growing and diversifying the general practice workforce, through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS). Primary care networks (PCNs) and practices have recruited over 29,000 additional staff, including nursing associates, pharmacists, physiotherapists and social prescribing link workers, hitting the Government’s target to recruit 26,000 a year ahead of the March 2024 target.NHS England have committed to supporting all of the roles recruited through the scheme into the future, and PCNs can be confident that there will be funding for any ARRS role recruited before March 2024

Dental Services

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes in the level of access to dental services on long-term NHS budgets.

Neil O'Brien: No assessment has been made.

Dental Services

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS dentists there are in (a) rural and (b) urban areas.

Neil O'Brien: This information is not held centrally

Diabetes: Semaglutide

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to prioritise type 2 diabetic patients for Ozempic prescriptions; and if he will make a statement.

Will Quince: There are global supply issues with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), which are licensed for treating patients with type 2 diabetes, including the branded medicine Ozempic. This appears to be largely driven by off-label prescribing for weight loss, which has led to shortages of these medicines for patients with type 2 diabetes.We have issued guidance in the form of a Medicine Supply Notification (MSN), addressing all GLP-1 RAs, advising healthcare professionals on how to manage patients requiring these medicines. We are considering whether further communications are required.The Government expects all providers of healthcare services, whether National Health Service or private, and all those with responsibility for prescribing to take appropriate account of national guidance such as MSNs. The guidance is clear that these medicines should only be prescribed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, in order to protect supply for diabetes patients. Medicines which are solely licensed to treat type 2 diabetes should not be routinely prescribed for weight loss.We are working closely with national diabetes specialists, the NHS, wholesalers, all manufacturers of these medicines and the relevant regulatory bodies and agencies to address this problem and to understand how we can help ensure type 2 diabetic patients continue to get access to treatment.

Orthopaedics: Surgery

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department made of the potential impact on trends in the level of employment on waiting times for orthopaedic surgery.

Will Quince: No assessment has been made.

Health Services: Wirral South

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 11 July 2023 to Question 192573 on Health Services: Waiting Lists, what the average waiting list time for specialist clinical (a) care and (b) surgery was in (i) February, (ii) April and (iii) June 2023 for people in Wirral South constituency.

Will Quince: As detailed in the answer to Question 192573, this data is not available in the format requested for a breakdown between specialist clinical care and surgery. The average waiting time nationally for referral to treatment for elective care was 14.5 weeks in February 2023 and 13.8 weeks in April 2023. Official NHS England figures for this statistic in June 2023 are not yet available, however the most recent published statistic for May 2023 was 14.1 weeks on average. These figures relate to the average time a patient is still waiting for their treatment to begin, at the end of the given month.Average waiting times are not available per constituency. However, as of 28 May, Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust had 41,375 people waiting for treatment, with over 58% waiting under 18 weeks.

Endoscopy: Knowsley

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of Cheshire and Merseyside's Integrated Care System's diagnostic funding was spent on diagnostic endoscopy procedures in Knowsley in the 2022-2023 financial year.

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System plans to take to increase the delivery of endoscopy procedures for patients in Knowsley constituency.

Will Quince: £2.3 billion was awarded at the 2021 Spending Review to transform diagnostic services over the next three years to increase diagnostic capacity, including for endoscopy services. This funding will also increase the number of Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) up to 160 by March 2025, including a number delivering endoscopy services.In July 2021, Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System opened St Helens CDC, which has since delivered 2,164 additional endoscopy tests closer to people’s homes, increasing earlier access to endoscopy procedures for the Knowsley population.In 2022/23, Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System spent a total of £46,608,474 on diagnostic scoping services. Of this, £3,268,694 (7.0%), was spent on diagnostic endoscopy procedures in Knowsley.Data on funding for all diagnostics is not held in the format requested.

Endoscopy: Basildon and Brentwood

Mr John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System’s diagnostic funding was spent on diagnostic endoscopy procedures in Basildon and Brentwood constituency in 2022/23.

Will Quince: £2.3 billion was awarded at the 2021 Spending Review to transform diagnostic services over the next three years to increase diagnostic capacity, including for endoscopy services. This funding will also increase the number of Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) up to 160 by March 2025, including a number delivering endoscopy services.In 2022/23, Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System spent a total of £53,950,546 on diagnostic services. Of this, £5,079,105 (9.4%), was spent on diagnostic endoscopy procedures in the Basildon & Brentwood Alliance.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Mining: Investment

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum report entitled Understanding Investment Risk in the Mining Sector, including on the 2015 Mariana Dam Disaster.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Local Authority Pension Fund Forum report highlights the need for responsible mineral supply chains. The UK works through several international mechanisms including supporting the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains which enables businesses to operate responsibly in conflict affected and high-risk areas. The UK is a member of the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals and the Voluntary Principles Initiative for Security and Human Rights which promote a set of principles to guide companies in the extractives sector to maintain the safety and security of their operations in a manner that reduces the risk of human rights abuses including in local communities.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Children and Young People

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of setting up a Youth Advisory Council in his Department to consult children and young people in policy development.

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to use child-focused impact assessments for (a) funding mechanisms, (b) context analyses and (c) programmes which involve the participation of (i) children and (ii) youth.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK Government is committed to the promotion, protection and realisation of children's rights in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). We see meaningfully engaging with children and young people as a core part of this. For example, in 2022, my predecessor, Rt Hon Vicky Ford MP convened a roundtable with young people from conflict-affected countries to hear directly from their experience of crisis response. In May 2023, senior officials met with seven adolescent girls from around the world to discuss a range of key challenges in their contexts and their perspectives on best practice for consulting children. The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Girls' Education, Helen Grant MP, prioritises meetings with young people whilst overseas, and recently travelled to Ethiopia to meet children and young people supported by UK programmes.

UN Resolutions: Racial Discrimination

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the passing of UN Security Council Resolution 2686.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2686, co-penned by the UK and UAE, advances our commitment to the Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), by addressing the discrimination faced by a range of minority groups in conflict settings, including religious groups.Furthermore, the Resolution consolidates new internationally recognised Women, Peace and Security language and encourages States to ensure their education systems promote gender equality and help to prevent sexual and gender-based violence. This is in line with the UK's commitment, in our international strategy on women and girls, to use our UNSC membership to stand up against coordinated attempts to roll back their rights.

Uganda: Homosexuality

Sir Conor Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what direct aid his Department has given to LGBTQ+ organisations in Uganda since the adoption of the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK works to tackle the root causes of human rights violations and abuses, including in Uganda. Since 2018, the UK has invested over £13.5 million in programmes to support the promotion and protection of LGBT+ rights globally, primarily in the Commonwealth. The British High Commission in Uganda is engaging with the LGBT+ community and human rights defenders to understand the impact of the Anti-Homosexuality Act on the safety of LGBT+ people and support their efforts to protect the rights of vulnerable communities.

Question

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the UK's progress on meeting its COP26 spending commitment on international climate finance by 2026.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: As the Prime Minister set out at COP27, we are committed to spending £11.6 billion on international climate finance over the timeframe that was originally envisaged.

Syria: British Nationals Abroad

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, If he will make it his policy to provide consular support to British nationals detained in North East Syria.

David Rutley: The FCDO continues to advise against all travel to Syria. The Embassy closed in 2012 and therefore we have no consular presence within Syria.This makes it extremely challenging to provide direct help to British nationals located there. But we carefully consider every request for consular assistance on a case-by-case basis, taking into account all relevant circumstances.

Home Office: Development Aid

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of using Official Development Assistance funding for programmes by the Home Department on his international development priorities.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Under the OECD rules, some support provided to asylum seekers or refugees is ODA-eligible for their first year in the UK if they came from ODA-eligible countries.The UK uses internationally agreed OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) rules to determine what spending is classified as ODA.

Uganda: LGBT+ People

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help ensure the safety of LGBT+ human rights defenders and activists in Uganda.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The British Government is appalled and disappointed by the Government of Uganda’s decision to sign the Anti-Homosexuality Bill into law.

China: Football

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much Official Development Assistance funding the British Council plans to spend on developing grassroots football in (a) China and (b) Xinjiang in China in the financial year 2023/24; and what sums the British Council spent on developing grassroots football in China in each of the last three financial years.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much Official Development Assistance funding was spent by the British Council in China by (a) project and (b) region in (i) 2022-23 and (ii) 2023-24.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Over the spending review period 2022-2025, the FCDO will provide the British Council with £511 million Grant-in-Aid funding. Of this, £396 million will be provided as Official Development Assistance (ODA) and £115 million as non-ODA. As the British Council is operationally independent of government, questions on their programming and spend across regions in China are for them to answer.

Palestinians: Development Aid

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publish audit reports of the Palestinian Recovery and Development Programme.

David Rutley: Following Official Development Assistance (ODA) prioritisation exercises undertaken in March 2021, the UK no longer provides direct financial aid to the Palestinian Authority. All UK support to the Palestinian Authority is provided through technical advice, procured through commercial suppliers. The audits in question for the Palestinian Recovery and Development Programme relate to UK funding provided through the World Bank to the Palestinian Authority. Therefore, the UK is not the sole owner of the audit reports and is unable to release them unilaterally.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Crime

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many reports of crime in the British Indian Ocean Territory his Department received in each of the last five years.

David Rutley: The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Administration is responsible for the good governance of BIOT. This includes its police force who are responsible for dealing with any crimes reported in BIOT. The FCDO does not hold a record of crimes reported on BIOT.

City of London Corporation: Visits Abroad

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what journeys overseas (a) Ministers and (b) officials made with City of London officials in each year since 2010.

David Rutley: The FCDO fulfils the requirement, established since 2010, for government departments to publish transparency data in line with the Ministerial Code. The full set of FCDO published transparency returns, which include ministerial overseas travel and senior officials' travel costs (since the department's formation in September 2020), can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fcdo-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings; https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fcdo-senior-officials-business-expenses-hospitality-and-meetings; and https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fcdo-special-advisers-gifts-hospitality-and-meetings.Historic transparency data detailing ministerial overseas travel and senior officials' travel costs for the Department for International Development can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-with-external-organisations-in-the-department-for-international-development and https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dfid-senior-executives-business-expenses-gifts-travel-and-meetings.Similarly, ministerial overseas travel and senior officials' travel costs for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/minister-data#2011 and. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/pus-data.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Foreign Nationals

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many foreign nationals are currently imprisoned in Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory as of July 2023.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of repatriating Sri Lankan nationals from the British Indian Ocean Territory in each of the last five years.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many asylum applications have been (a) accepted and (b) rejected in the British Indian Ocean Territory in each of the last five years.

David Rutley: As an uninhabited territory, the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) does not have an asylum system. Where migrants have claimed that they are unable to return safely to their country of origin, their claims are considered in accordance with BIOT law and international obligations. We do not comment publicly on individual claims for protection.No foreign nationals are detained on BIOT. Around 130 individuals have so far voluntarily returned to their home country on six separate flights chartered by the BIOT Administration. The FCDO provides funding to the BIOT Administration to help support the good governance of the Territory. This funding includes all costs associated with temporarily supporting the migrants on BIOT and supporting their departure from the territory.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Deaths

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many deaths have been recorded in the British Indian Ocean Territory in each of the past 10 years for which figures are available.

David Rutley: The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) is constitutionally distinct and separate from the UK and is administered by the BIOT Administration. The FCDO does not hold records of the number of deaths recorded in the Territory.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Sri Lanka

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the veracity of allegations of the false imprisonment of Sri Lankan nationals in Diego Garcia in the British Indian Ocean Territory; and if he will make a statement.

David Rutley: Sri Lankan migrants are not routinely detained on the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) and we strongly dispute any allegations of false imprisonment. These allegations are subject to ongoing legal proceedings, and it would be inappropriate to comment any further on this matter until such proceedings have concluded.Around 130 migrants of Sri Lankan nationality have so far voluntarily returned to their home country on six separate flights chartered by the BIOT Administration. We are grateful to the Sri Lankan Government for their assistance in facilitating these returns. The welfare and safety of the remaining migrants on Diego Garcia is also a top priority for the BIOT Administration. They are provided with accommodation, food, communications and dedicated 24/7 medical support, as well as educational and welfare facilities.

Honduras: Human Rights

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to support (a) land and (b) environmental defenders in Honduras; and what discussions he has had with his Honduran counterpart on (i) human rights, (ii) recent attacks on the family of Reynaldo Dominguez and (iii) other attacks on environmentalists.

David Rutley: When I [Minister Rutley] met with Foreign Minister Reina on my visit to Honduras in April, I raised the issues of attacks against human rights and environmental defenders. During the visit I also spoke with representatives from civil society groups about protecting space for environmental and human rights defenders.Support for human rights in Honduras is a continuing priority for the FCDO. Our officials in the region regularly discuss challenges with the Honduran Ministry of Human Rights and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. FCDO officials joined a UN Peace-building Fund Donor Mission to Honduras in March, visiting projects aimed at decreasing violence and instability and addressing land and environment conflicts. Officials also met Reynaldo Dominguez when he visited London with NGO Peace Brigades International last year to discuss the situation of Human Rights defenders in Honduras.

Home Office

Visas: Sudan

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's policy is on the future visa status of Sudanese nationals who have been given leave to enter the UK.

Robert Jenrick: We expect individuals holding a UK visa to comply with the conditions of the leave they have been granted.  Help and advice on immigration for those whose visas are expiring can be found on the GOV.UK website.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of applications made to the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme were successful in the period to June 2023.

Robert Jenrick: Since 2015, just over half a million people were offered safe and legal routes into the UK. This includes those from country-specific schemes from Hong Kong, Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine, in addition to global routes through the UNHCR and family reunion schemes. The latest Immigration system statistics, year ending March 2023 - GOV.UK (opens in a new tab) (published on 25 May 2023, next statistics release due Aug 2023), show that since their first arrivals in 2021, the Afghan schemes – the ACRS and the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) - have resettled a total of 21,004 people. The UK has made one of the largest commitments of any country to support those impacted by events in Afghanistan.There is no application process for the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS). Instead, those who are eligible will be prioritised and referred for resettlement to the UK through one of the scheme’s three referral pathways. Further information on the ACRS can be found on the gov.uk website at:Afghan citizens resettlement scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Visas: Applications

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of her Department's IT systems when processing visa applications.

Robert Jenrick: As part of the agreed service standard in Home Office Digital, Data and Technology, operational performance of Home Office IT systems that support visa processing are regularly monitored. We review and improve these systems periodically to ensure they continue to support effective processing of visa applications.

Asylum: Housing

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost of accommodating asylum seekers in the UK was in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Robert Jenrick: The Government has been clear that the use of expensive hotels to house the unprecedented number of asylum seekers crossing the Channel is unacceptable and must end. It is costing the UK taxpayer over £6 million a day. That is why we are shifting to cheaper and basic accommodation and delivering on out plan to stop the boats – which is the enduring way to alleviate unfair pressure on communities and the British taxpayer.A link to the most recent published figures:https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2023/04/03/accommodation-sites-factsheet-april-2023/

Asylum: MOD Wethersfield

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, where people accommodated at MDP Wethersfield were previously accommodated; and what the average notice was that those people would be transferred to MDP Wethersfield.

Robert Jenrick: We have a statutory duty to provide support and accommodation to destitute asylum seekers. Accommodation is provided on a ‘no choice’ basis at safe, legal and adequate accommodation including the Wethersfield site. If asylum seekers are to be moved from initial accommodation hotels to Wethersfield, service providers give notice as per the Asylum Accommodation & Support Contract (AASC) contractual agreement which is usually 5 days’ notice.

Immigration: Scotland

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the Scottish Government on (a) immigration, (b) asylum seekers and (c) refugees.

Robert Jenrick: Immigration is a reserved matter and representatives from across Government meet with their counterparts and will continue to do so as part of regular engagement with the Devolved Administrations.The Home Secretary chaired the Home Office's Inter Ministerial Group with the Devolved Administrations on 11th July 2023, where one of the items for discussion was the Illegal Migration Bill.From 13 April 2022, all local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales are considered a dispersal area and will need to take part in asylum dispersal. This is to ensure a fair and equitable accommodation spread of asylum seekers across the UK. We have agreed targets for every local authority and region in the UK to deliver by the end of 2023. The latest published Home Office figures from 31st March 2023 show that Midlothian has one asylum dispersal accommodation.The SNP Government are accommodating 4.6% of the total asylum population being accommodated in the UK, when Scotland makes up 8.2% of the UK population.If you would like to put forward specific proposals, please do contact the Home Office at: rasiengagementhubregionalconsultation@homeoffice.gov.uk and officials will happily discuss this in greater detail with you.

Asylum: MOD Wethersfield

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has set a (a) minimum and (b) maximum time that people will be accommodated at MDP Wethersfield.

Robert Jenrick: Whilst the Home Office anticipates the period asylum seekers may be accommodated at MDP Wethersfield to be between six to nine months, this is dependent on the availability of onward dispersed accommodation. From 13 April 2022, all local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales are considered a dispersal area and will need to take part in asylum dispersal.This is to ensure a fair and equitable accommodation spread of asylum seekers across the UK. We have agreed targets for every local authority and region in the UK to deliver by the end of 2023.

Asylum: MOD Wethersfield

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been transferred to MDP Wethersfield since 12 July 2023; and how many people are accommodated at that site.

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of people who will be transferred to the MDP Wethersfield site in (a) July and (b) August 2023; and on what dates she estimates that they will arrive.

Robert Jenrick: The first group of asylum seekers are now at Wethersfield. We will be using a phased approach, increasing the number of asylum seekers accommodated at the site over time with the practicalities of managing the site under constant review. The site can accommodate 1700 individuals when fully operational.From 13 April 2022, all local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales are considered a dispersal area and will need to take part in asylum dispersal. This is to ensure a fair and equitable accommodation spread of asylum seekers across the UK. We have agreed targets for every local authority and region in the UK to deliver by the end of 2023. Scotland is currently not meeting its dispersal accommodation target.

Stalking: Court Orders

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 June to Question 188484 on Stalking: Court Orders, when she plans to publish the number of stalking protection orders issued in England and Wales in 2022.

Miss Sarah Dines: We will publish the number of stalking protection orders issued in England and Wales in 2022 in due course.

Visas: Ukraine

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2023 to Question 188007 on Visas: Ukraine, if she will detail what the particular challenges are in obtaining a representative response.

Robert Jenrick: There are a number of challenges in surveying this population. In particular, it is expected that those who are in relatively precarious circumstances will be less likely to respond to an online survey of this type.

Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has appointed an Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner.

Miss Sarah Dines: The role of the Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) as set out in the 2015 Modern Slavery Act is to encourage good practice in the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of slavery and human trafficking offences and the identification of victims.The Home Secretary recognises the importance of the IASC and had launched a new open competition to recruit for this role on the 23 February 2023, the process for which is now at an advanced stage.

Home Office: Artificial Intelligence

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) algorithmic and (b) other automated decision making systems her Department uses; and for what purposes.

Chris Philp: Automated decision-making in Government is compliant with provisions in GDPR and the Data Protection Act, which requires the completion of Impact Assessments and includes the right for a data subject to request “a new decision that is not based solely on automated processing”. Government has also published a Ethics, Transparency and Accountability Framework for Automated Decision-Making, which guides the safe, sustainable and ethical use of automated or algorithmic decision-making systems.“Algorithmic” and “automated decision-making systems” are broad terms covering a large array of systems and processes, and the department does not currently keep a specific record of all systems that could fall within the definitions for this purpose. However, given the importance of transparency, accountability, and consistency alongside considerations such as security, we are assessing what more could be done to ensure we have the best possible records.

Emergency Services: Crimes of Violence

Mark Logan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will hold discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service on increasing prosecutions for assault of emergency workers in Bolton.

Chris Philp: Any assault on an emergency worker is unacceptable and I am determined to do everything I can to ensure they are prevented.As part of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, we have brought forward legislation to double the maximum sentence for assaults on emergency workers.The Office for National Statistics’ Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) and its latest estimates shows that the number of incidences of violence has fallen by 41% since the year ending March 2010, to 1.1 million incidences.

Road Traffic Offences: Merseyside

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February to Question 136599 on Road Traffic Offences: Merseyside, if she will hold discussions with Merseyside police on the prevention of hit-and-run offences.

Chris Philp: Enforcement of road traffic law is an operational matter for the Chief Constable of Merseyside Police. The Secretary of State has no plans to discuss the prevention of hit and run offences with Merseyside Police.Under section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 there are requirements with which a driver must comply in the event of an accident involving injury to another person, or damage to another vehicle or certain animals, including dogs, or damage to property. The driver must stop and provide details to another person having reasonable cause to require them, or if he does not for any reason provide details must report the accident to the police and provide details within 24 hours.Failure to stop after an accident and give details or report the accident carries a maximum penalty of an unlimited fine and/or 6 months’ imprisonment, plus discretionary disqualification and obligatory endorsement of 5 to ten penalty points.Vehicle related theft is down 42% since March 2010 according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales.

Animal Experiments: Cosmetics

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Written Statement of 17 May 2023 HCWS779 on Animal Testing, how many of the time-limited licenses issued between 2019 and 2022 which permit the testing on animals of ingredients used in cosmetics production are valid.

Tom Tugendhat: On 17 May 2023, the Government introduced a licensing ban on animal testing of chemicals exclusively intended as ingredients in cosmetics.There are currently three live licences that authorise animal testing of chemicals used as ingredients in cosmetics.

Kent Intake Unit: Health Services

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Departments plans to take to improve medical isolation practises at the Kent Intake Unit.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has no plans to improve isolation practices at the Kent Intake Unit as there is a purpose built isolation room and 24-hour medical services on site.

Short-term Holding Facilities: Paintings

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse was of painting over murals at an asylum processing centre.

Robert Jenrick: There was no financial cost to paint over the murals in the Kent Intake Unit.

Asylum: Applications

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to introduce voice recognition call lines in the asylum system for claimants to receive real time updates on their applications.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office is developing a portal which will enable asylum seekers to access real time updates on their case. Voice recognition technology is not currently being explored as part of these plans.

Asylum: Knowsley

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Immigration of 20 February 2023 on the wider implications of the violent incident in Knowsley, Official Report, column 33, whether Melanie Strickland (a) has been and (b) is among the legal practitioners monitored by her Department.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office do not comment on individuals.

Retail Trade: Crime

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Association of Convenience Stores’ Crime Report 2023.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether an assessment has been made by her Department of the impact of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 on (a) shop staff and (b) other public-facing workers.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to incentivise investment in crime prevention measures by the (a) private and (b) public sector.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has taken any recent steps to protect small businesses and retail workers from theft.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps to reduce instances of verbal abuse towards shop workers.

Chris Philp: The Government is clear that violence and abuse towards any worker is not acceptable. We introduced a statutory aggravating factor for assault against any public facing worker via section 156 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. The aggravating factor applies in cases of assault where an offence is committed against those providing a public service, performing a public duty or providing a service to the public. This legislative change ensures the courts treat the public-facing nature of a victim’s role as an aggravating factor when considering the sentence for an offence.As Minister for Crime and Policing, I chair the National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG), this group is co-chaired by the British Retail Consortium. It brings together Government, the retail industry and law enforcement to develop our response to retail crime.Crime surveys undertaken by the retail trade associations, such as the Association of Convenience Stores, the British Retail Consortium and USDAW are valuable sources of information and help to shape the discussion at the NRCSG.The next meeting of the NRCSG will take place on 17 July and members will discuss the impact of the statutory aggravating factor for assault offences committed against retail workers and other public facing workers.The Home Office has facilitated a number of task and finish groups, comprising members of the NRCSG. Recently these have aimed to encourage retailers to engage with their local Business Crime Reduction Partnership to work with police and support local efforts to reduce crimes like shoplifting, and how powers in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 can be used to tackle prolific offending in retail settings, building on guidance already provided by the National Business Crime Centre. These crimes are most effectively tackled when retailers and local policing teams work together.

Police: Electric Vehicles

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many armed police response vehicles in the UK are (a) electric and (b) are scheduled to be electric by 2030.

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of armed police response vehicles are (a) electric vehicles and (b) planned to be electric vehicles by 2030.

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many fire engines and fire response vehicles (a) are electric vehicles and (b) are planned to be electric vehicles by 2030.

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of (a) fire engines and (b) response vehicles (i) are and (ii) will be electric vehicles by 2030.

Chris Philp: The Home Office does not hold data on the number of electric emergency response vehicles.Police forces are operationally independent, and procurement of police resources is an operational matter for Chief Constables and locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners. Decisions on fire and rescue service resources are a matter for each fire and rescue authority.

Asylum: Applications

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 July 2023 to Question 192551 on Asylum: Applications, how many asylum decisions were made between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on initial decisions made on asylum applications can be found in table Asy_D02 of the ‘asylum and resettlement detailed datasets’. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks. The latest data relate to the year ending March 2023.Data for the year ending June 2023 will be published on 24 August 2023. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.

Department for Business and Trade

Post Offices

Sir Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of implications for her policies of the Post Office Ltd policy to reclassify some main post office branches as Local Plus; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Hollinrake: While publicly owned, the Post Office operates at arm’s length from Government. Government sets the high-level parameters for the Post Office, but it is the Post Office Chief Executive, together with the Board of Directors, who are responsible for running Post Office day-to-day and the company has the commercial freedom to deliver the branch network within the parameters set by Government. Government continues to protect the branch network by setting minimum access criteria, and protects services by setting minimum services to be provided at post offices across the country. Decisions about individual branches are made by Post Office Limited.

New Businesses

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to (a) promote and (b) support aspiring entrepreneurs in (i) Plymouth and (ii) the UK.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government continues to support small businesses and entrepreneurs through a range of ways including: Start Up Loans which provide early-stage entrepreneurs with funding and intensive support including a year of free business mentoring for new entrepreneurs.Provision of information, advice and guidance through the Business Support Helpline, Growth Hubs and the Help to Grow campaign website - a digital one-stop shop set up to help businesses find the support they need to start, scale and grow. Over 200 businesses have taken up Start Up Loans in Plymouth.

Minimum Wage: Leicester East

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many breaches of minimum wage legislation there have been by employers in Leicester East constituency in each of the last four years.

Kevin Hollinrake: All businesses – irrespective of their size, business sector or location – are responsible for paying the correct minimum wage to their staff.National Minimum Wage enforcement data is not available at constituency level so regional data has been provided in Table 1. Table 1: National Minimum Wage arrears and workers identified in the East Midlands, 2018-19 to 2021-22Financial YearRegionArrears (£)Workers2018-19East Midlands1,308,92910,2912019-20East Midlands920,68614,1042020-21East Midlands9,461,66588,9212021-22East Midlands2,997,29911,435

Supermarkets: Competition

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Competition and Market Authority's regulatory enforcement powers at ensuring competition within the supermarket sector.

Kevin Hollinrake: Responsibility for investigating individual and market-wide competition issues in the UK falls to the independent Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The Government has ensured that the CMA has significant powers to investigate and act if it finds that companies are behaving anti-competitively in a market. The Government is strengthening these powers further as part of the reforms in the Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Bill.

Help to Grow Schemes

Jerome Mayhew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress she has made on the Help to Grow scheme; what plans she has for the future rollout of this scheme to (a) SMEs and (b) other businesses; and which businesses in Broadland constituency are participating in the scheme.

Kevin Hollinrake: Up to the end of February 2023, the Help to Grow: Management (HTG:M) programme has had 5,395 enrolments, including 295 businesses from the East of England. Our Year One evaluation findings show that 90% of SME leaders surveyed say they would recommend the programme to another business leader. It is not possible to disclose individual business information due to data protection. The programme will run until 2025.

Service Industries: Greater London

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment her Department has made of the impact of the services sector on (a) exports and (b) economic growth in (i) Enfield North constituency, (ii) the London Borough of Enfield and (iii) London.

Nigel Huddleston: The Department periodically monitors the impact of its work supporting the services sector to increase exports via our Made in the UK: Sold to the World Analytical Framework. In 2021, Enfield ITL3 area exported £295 million services. The services sector generated £6.1 billion Gross Value Added (GVA), contributing towards 78% of total GVA in Enfield. The same year, London exported £152 billion services. The services sector generated £452 billion GVA, contributing towards 93% of total GVA in London. The Department does not hold trade and GVA data at a constituency level.

Employment: Bullying

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps she has taken to reduce bullying in the workplace.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to create a statutory definition of bullying at work.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will take steps to work with employers where there is a high prevalence of bullying cases.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will take steps to help improve workplace (a) investigations and (b) enforcement in companies where there is a culture of bullying at work.

Kevin Hollinrake: Bullying and harassment are unacceptable and have no place in today’s workplace.Bullying is not itself illegal, and the Government believes that the best way to address bad behaviour in the workplace is through cultural change.The Government has published guidance on the steps that employees can take if they are experiencing bullying or harassment at work. This explains that anti-bullying and harassment policies can help prevent problems and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/workplace-bullying-and-harassment.Acas provides free and impartial advice for employers and employees and has published guidance for employers on preventing and handling bullying, harassment and discrimination complaints at work. This is available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/handling-a-bullying-harassment-discrimination-complaint.

Employment: Bullying and Discrimination

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what guidance her Department provides workers on the legal protections available to them in cases of workplace (a) bullying, (b) harassment and (c) discrimination.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government has published guidance on the steps that employees can take if they are experiencing bullying or harassment at work, available at: https://www.gov.uk/workplace-bullying-and-harassment.Acas provides free and impartial advice for employers and employees and has published guidance on discrimination, bullying and harassment, available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/discrimination-bullying-and-harassmentThe Equality and Human Rights Commission has published a statutory code of practice covering the law on discrimination and harassment at work, available at: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/publication-download/employment-statutory-code-practiceThe Equality Advisory and Support Service, provides free bespoke advice, in-depth support and alternative informal dispute resolution to individuals with discrimination concerns, available at: www.equalityadvisoryservice.com.

Employment: Bullying

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has made an estimate of the potential lost income to the economy as a result of bullying in the workplace in the last five years.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has made an estimate of the number of working days that have been potentially lost due to bullying in the workplace in each of the last five years.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an estimate of the proportion of workplace bullying that takes place online.

Kevin Hollinrake: The department does not conduct research on the scale and impact of workplace bullying, including online.Acas has published independent research which estimates the cost of workplace conflict more broadly. This measured conflicts at various stages and goes further than just bullying and harassment, including costs of mediation, absences and reduced productivity. This is available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/estimating-the-costs-of-workplace-conflict-report.

Employment: Bullying

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of bullying at work on levels of bullying in (a) schools and (b) other environments.

Kevin Hollinrake: The department does not conduct research on the scale and impact of workplace bullying, including the impact on levels of bullying in schools and other environments.All schools are legally required to have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying and have the freedom to develop their own anti-bullying strategies and monitoring approaches to best suit their environment.

Wales Office

Domestic Visits: Bridgend

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister in his Department last made an official visit to Bridgend constituency.

David T C Davies: The Wales Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Domestic Visits: Cardiff Central

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister in his Department last made an official visit to Cardiff Central constituency.

David T C Davies: The Wales Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Domestic Visits: Llanelli

Gerald Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister from his Department last visited Llanelli constituency.

David T C Davies: The Wales Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Domestic Visits: Islwyn

Gerald Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister from his Department last visited Islwyn constituency.

David T C Davies: The Wales Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Domestic Visits: Montgomeryshire

Gerald Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister from his Department last visited Montgomeryshire constituency.

David T C Davies: The Wales Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Domestic Visits: Monmouth

Gerald Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister from his Department last visited Monmouth constituency.

David T C Davies: The Wales Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Domestic Visits: Cardiff North

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister in his Department last made an official visit to Cardiff North constituency.

David T C Davies: The Wales Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Domestic Visits: Ynys Môn

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister from his Department last made an official visit to Ynys Môn constituency.

David T C Davies: The Wales Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Domestic Visits: Wrexham

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister from his Department last made an official visit to Wrexham constituency.

David T C Davies: The Wales Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Domestic Visits: Vale of Glamorgan

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister from his Department last made an official visit to Vale of Glamorgan constituency.

David T C Davies: The Wales Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Domestic Visits: Clwyd

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister from his Department last made an official visit to Vale of Clwyd constituency.

David T C Davies: The Wales Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Domestic Visits: Torfaen

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister from his Department last made an official visit to Torfaen constituency.

David T C Davies: The Wales Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Domestic Visits: Caerphilly

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister in his Department last made an official visit to Caerphilly constituency.

David T C Davies: The Wales Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Domestic Visits: Brecon and Radnorshire

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister from his Department last undertook an official visit to Brecon and Radnorshire constituency.

David T C Davies: The Wales Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Domestic Visits: Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney

Gerald Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister from his Department last visited Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney constituency.

David T C Davies: The Wales Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Water: Conservation

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of water efficiency technologies on (a) tackling water scarcity and (b) increasing capacity for new build homes.

Rebecca Pow: We are working with Ofwat to ensure the sector can develop innovative technology for water efficiency through their Innovation fund. We wrote, this year, to all water companies encouraging a rapid increase of smart meter installations for household and non-household customers. The 2023 Plan for Water details our roadmap for water efficiency in new development and retrofits, including our commitment to develop guidance for development design to minimise the pressure they place on the water system, especially in water stressed areas. We are looking at a number of ways to improve water efficiency in homes, including reviewing standards in the building regulations for showers, taps, and toilets. We are also delivering a mandatory water efficiency label for water using products by 2025.

Waste Management: Local Government

Gareth Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to provide additional funding to the London Borough of Bromley as compensation for the potential loss of income from the sale of recyclates arising from her proposed reforms to waste collection services.

Rebecca Pow: Any new financial burdens introduced through new statutory duties on local authorities will be assessed and the net additional cost covered by the Government, unless exceptionally Ministers at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities agree to waive the funding requirement.

Public lavatories: Men

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to help ensure that men with bowel and bladder incontinence have access to public sanitary disposal bins.

Rebecca Pow: The Government encourages local authorities to consider such provision in public toilets to support those with this need but does not have powers to compel the provision of sanitary bins in public toilets. I would encourage the hon. Member to raise the issue locally.

Electronic Cigarettes: Waste Disposal

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure the safe disposal of vapes.

Rebecca Pow: In the UK, the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations require producers of electricals, including vapes, to finance the collection and treatment of these products when they become waste. We will consult on reviewing these regulations and will explore measures to drive up higher levels of collections of electricals, including vapes, later this year. We are also working with the regulators who enforce these regulations to ensure vape producers and distributors are compliant with their existing obligations under the WEEE Regulations, including the requirement for retailers to offer take back in store of unwanted electrical equipment, including vapes.

Electronic Cigarettes: Environmental Protection

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to provide education to (a) adults, (b) young people and (c) children on the environmental effects of vaping.

Rebecca Pow: We are aware that the use of vaping devices has increased substantially in recent years and we are considering the implications of this trend on the environment. We are currently reviewing the responses to the Department of Health and Social Care’s recently published call for evidence on youth vaping and the environment and will use this evidence to inform what policy decisions we might take in the future to mitigate the impacts of vapes.

Electronic Cigarettes: Polluter Pays Principle

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to help ensure that the polluter pays principle applies to vaping products.

Rebecca Pow: Under the UK’s WEEE Regulations, businesses which manufacture, import or sell vaping devices have obligations to finance the collection and treatment of these products once they become waste. We are working with the regulators who enforce these regulations to ensure that these businesses are compliant with their existing obligations. We will also consult on reviewing these regulations and explore measures aimed at increasing levels of collections of electricals, including vapes, for recycling.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Gareth Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to provide guidance to all local authorities on minimum service standards following her proposed reforms to waste collection services.

Rebecca Pow: When we publish the Government response to the 2021 consultation on Consistency in Household and Business Recycling in England, we will launch a consultation on statutory guidance to support implementation.

Fish Farming: Animal Welfare

Dr Jamie Wallis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will publish the Animal Welfare Committee's Opinion on the Welfare of Farmed Fish at the Time of Killing 2023.

Mark Spencer: We will publish the Animal Welfare Committee’s updated Opinion on the Welfare of Farmed Fish at the Time of Killing, and will study its recommendations carefully.

Water Companies: Debts

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help tackle levels of debt in the water industry.

Rebecca Pow: Water companies are allowed to raise debt to fund the delivery of the services, and it is for companies to decide their finance structure. This is normal practice across all parts of the private sector. Debt levels significantly increased in the 2000s as it was a cheaper way to raise finance. At sensible levels, debt can be an appropriate way to fund investment for essential infrastructure over the longer term, avoiding sharp increases in customer bills in the immediate term. However, both Government and Ofwat recognise that levels of debt at some companies in the sector are too high. There are measures in place through ring fenced license conditions to improve the financial resilience of the sector and to protect customers. These were introduced in 2007 and were strengthened this year, following new licence modification powers that this Government gave to Ofwat via the Environment Act 2021. As part of the new tougher measures, Ofwat now has additional powers to stop water companies making dividend payments earlier if a company's financial resilience is at risk, and has set a requirement for stronger reporting and governance of companies’ credit ratings. Ofwat has encouraged water companies to de-gear and the average gearing level across the sector fell by 4% from 2020 to 2021.

Business: Waste

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to take steps to mandate large food business to improve food waste reporting.

Rebecca Pow: We consulted in 2022 on options to improve reporting of food waste volumes by large food businesses in England. By increasing the number of businesses measuring and publicly reporting their food waste, we expect to drive action to reduce it. We will publish a government response in due course.

Meat: Origin Marking

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that meat is labelled clearly to inform consumers about provenance from (a) animals reared and slaughtered (i) in the UK and (ii) abroad and (b) meat grown in a lab.

Mark Spencer: Country of Origin labelling is compulsory for prepacked unprocessed beef, veal, lamb, mutton, pork, goat and poultry meat. For beef an indication of where the animal was born, reared and slaughtered is required while for the other meats, reared and slaughtered is required. The word ‘origin’, where used on unprocessed fresh or frozen meat, means it is from an animal that was born, reared and slaughtered in the indicated country. Additional labelling rules apply for foods with primary ingredients. Where meat is the primary ingredient of a food product, for example a sausage or bacon, the origin of the primary ingredient must be given if different to the origin that is provided for the food product (which will be where the product is manufactured). This means consumers can have confidence in provenance and quality of the food they buy. Each ingredient of pre-packed food must be included on the label. The ingredient must be the legal name of the food or, if there is no legal name, the customary name or a name that is sufficiently descriptive to enable consumers to know its true nature and distinguish it from other products with which it might be confused. Lab-grown meat is not meat as defined in food labelling legislation and does not therefore require its origin to be given, unless the omission of this information would cause a consumer to be misled. It is however required to be clearly labelled as an ingredient.

Eggs: Production

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of not including eggs as a sensitive sector in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership on the domestic egg farming sector.

Mark Spencer: There have been no imports of eggs from CPTPP members to the UK since 2015. Global trade flows on shell eggs remain minimal as it is not practical to trade shell eggs over long distances. The full Impact Assessment for the UK's accession to CPTPP will be published by the Department for Business and Trade in due course.

Water Companies: Debts

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of high levels of debt in the water industry.

Rebecca Pow: Water companies are allowed to raise debt to fund the delivery of their services. This is normal practice across all parts of the private sector. At sensible levels, debt can be an appropriate way to fund investment for essential infrastructure over the longer term, avoiding sharp increases in customer bills in the immediate term. However, both Government and Ofwat recognise that levels of debt at some companies in the sector are too high. Ofwat has encouraged water companies to de-gear and the weighted average gearing across the sector fell by 4% from 72.8% in 2021 to 68.5% in 2022. There are measures in place through ring fenced license conditions to improve the financial resilience of the sector and to protect customers. These were introduced in 2007 and were strengthened this year, following new licence modification powers that this Government gave to Ofwat via the Environment Act 2021. The industry continues to be financially resilient and capable of raising the required investment to meet Government targets. For example, £2 billion of new equity has been injected across the industry since 2020 and in addition, in the last few weeks, we have seen £500 million of new shareholder equity going into Yorkshire Water, £120 million into Portsmouth Water and a further £750 million into Thames Water.

Women and Equalities

LGBT+ People

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether the LGBT Action Plan published in July 2018 is Government policy.

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, for what reasons the Government disbanded the LGBT Advisory Panel.

Stuart Andrew: In 2018, the then government published the LGBT Action Plan which contained a broad range of commitments designed to improve the lives of people at home and abroad, and the way that public services work for them. Significant progress was made in delivering those commitments including taking action to tackle bullying in schools, and taking steps to ensure the safety of LGBT people at home and abroad. This Government is determined to continue to take meaningful steps to advance opportunity for all LGBT people in the UK and beyond, including banning conversion practices. More details on this Government’s priorities will be shared in due course. In March 2019, the Government at the time appointed a 12 person LGBT Advisory Panel for a period of two years to advise on LGBT policies. In April 2021, that two year period came to an end and the Panel ceased to operate.

Disability: Housing Improvement

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2023 to Question 191621 on Disability: Housing Improvement, what steps the Government is taking to implement the requirement that landlords make reasonable adjustments to the common parts of leasehold and commonhold homes.

Stuart Andrew: Following the Government’s 2022 consultation, the Cabinet Office’s Equality Hub is working towards implementation with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Treasury

Treasury: Deltapoll

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2022 to Question 33731 on Treasury: Deltapoll, what the (a) dates, (b) locations and (c) demographic target groups were of the twice-weekly focus groups carried out for his Department by Deltapoll Ltd between 5 July 2022 and 10 July 2023 under the terms of procurement contract reference CCZZ21A48.

John Glen: Details of focus group activity carried out by Deltapoll upon instruction from HM Treasury between 5 July 2022 and 10 July 2023 are detailed below. Government departments have conducted regular insight gathering activity over a number of years to gain a better understanding of public opinion and to assist and inform the development of good policy making.Unless otherwise specified two groups per week were undertaken. Groups were recruited by the demographic detailed in the demographic information column. DateLocationDemographic informationWC 4 July 2022South WestRural/Urban statusWC 11 July 2022East MidlandsAge The final Deltapoll focus group was conducted w/c 11 July 2022.

Stamp Duty Land Tax

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many additional Stamp Duty Land Tax refunds have taken longer than 35 days to process in the last 12 months.

Victoria Atkins: HM Revenue and Customs does not record the number of Stamp Duty Land Tax refunds that have taken longer than 35 days to process.

Taxation: Self-assessment

Jeff Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an equalities impact assessment of proposals for a points-based penalty regime for late submissions of tax returns.

Victoria Atkins: A new points-based penalty system was brought in on 1 January 2023 for all VAT-registered businesses. The Government published the associated screening equality impact assessment on 23 March. An equalities impact assessment covering the new penalty system for Income Tax Self-Assessment taxpayers will be published during its introduction.

Tax Avoidance and Tax Evasion

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the level of tax (a) evasion and (b) avoidance in each of the last four years.

Victoria Atkins: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) estimates the size of the tax gap, which is the difference between the amount of tax that should theoretically be paid to HMRC and the amount that is actually paid. The latest tax gap estimate for 2021-2022 is a record low of 4.8 per cent of total theoretical tax liabilities. The tax gap statistics are published annually and are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/measuring-tax-gaps.

Excise Duties: Electronic Cigarettes

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the deterrent effect of the excise duty on vaping products.

John Glen: The Government has no current plans to apply an excise duty to non-tobacco nicotine or vaping products. Tax matters are kept under constant review, with any announcements made at fiscal events.

Public Works Loan Board

Stephen Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of what the Public Works Loan Board (a) principal and (b) debt repayments for local authorities will be in the 2023-24 financial year.

Andrew Griffith: The Office for Budget Responsibility publishes the official forecast for local authority borrowing and spending in their Economic and Fiscal Outlook, including future spending on principal and debt interest. The latest estimate in the March 2023 forecast is published here: https://obr.uk/efo/economic-and-fiscal-outlook-march-2023/.

Bank Services: Interest Rates

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to hold further discussions with representatives of banking institutions on the adequacy of the level of interest rates applied to savings accounts.

Andrew Griffith: The pricing of products, including savings accounts, is a commercial matter for firms in which the Government does not intervene. However, the Chancellor has made clear his expectation that savers benefit from rising interest rates. He has tasked the Financial Conduct Authority to report later this month on how the savings market is supporting savers to benefit from higher interest rate, and will consider any potential next steps following the completion of this report.

Treasury: Dahua Technology and Hikvision

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether their Department has purchased products manufactured by (a) Hikvision and (b) Dahua in the last three years.

John Glen: As has been the case under successive administrations, it is not government policy to comment on the government’s security arrangements. This includes any specific details regarding the make and model of security systems, which are withheld on national security grounds. Each Department is responsible for their own procurement decisions. However, I would refer the Hon. member to the Written Ministerial Statement made by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 24 November 2022, which set out that Departments had been instructed to disconnect surveillance equipment from core departmental networks where it is subject to the National Intelligence Law of China.

Treasury: Deltapoll

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2022 to Question 33731 on Treasury: Deltapoll, how many weekly online polls were carried out for his Department by Deltapoll Ltd. between 5 July 2022 and 10 July 2023 under the terms of procurement contract reference CCZZ21A48; and what was the date on which the most recent poll was carried out.

John Glen: Per this contract which is publicly available on GOV.UK’s Contract Finder, there were 3 instances of polling activity carried out by Deltapoll upon instruction from HM Treasury between 5 July 2022 and 10 July 2023.The final and most recent polling by Deltapoll took place 14th – 19th July 2022.

Treasury: Artificial Intelligence

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) algorithmic and (b) other automated decision making systems his Department uses; and for what purposes.

John Glen: Government’s Roadmap to a Digital Future includes digital transformation in Government by “automating manual processes” in order to drive greater efficiency and deliver maximum value for the taxpayer. Automated decision making in Government is compliant with provisions in GDPR and the Data Protection Act.

Public Sector: Pay

Ben Lake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department allocated for public sector pay increases in the Spending Review 2021 for the next three financial years; and how much has been allocated to the Welsh Government in Barnett formula consequential funding in the same period.

John Glen: The Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 (SR21) set departmental budgets up to 2024-25 and confirmed that total departmental spending will increase by £150 billion in cash terms over the course of this Parliament. Since then, targeted additional funding was provided to support key public services continue to deliver – including £14 billion for health and social care and £4.6 billion for schools across the next two years. This means that total departmental spending will grow in real terms at 4% a year on average over this Spending Review period.It is for individual departments to weigh up their priorities and consider the affordability of these recommendations against other priorities.The Government confirmed on 13 July that it will be accepting the headline pay recommendations of the independent Pay Review Bodies in full for 2023/24. This will be funded from within existing department budgets through a combination of greater efficiency and reprioritisation. This will not mean any cuts in frontline services.It is for the Welsh Government to decide how to allocate their funding in devolved areas. SR21 set the largest annual block grants, in real terms, of any spending review settlement since the devolution Acts. This provided £18 billion per year for the Welsh Government. That settlement is still growing in real terms over the three-year spending review period, despite inflation being higher than expected.A full breakdown of changes to devolved administrations’ block grants, including Barnett consequentials, is set out in the published Block Grant Transparency document. An updated version of Block Grant Transparency will be published on 20 July.

Trade Marks: Registration

Ian Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Financial Conduct Authority's procedures for ensuring that all trading names associated with a single registration are properly authorised.

Andrew Griffith: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is an operationally independent non-governmental body responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry. Although the Treasury sets the legal framework for the regulation of financial services, the FCA is responsible for developing and implementing rules, including relating to trading names. Further information on the FCA’s approach is available on its website. Through the Financial Services Act 2021, the government granted the FCA new powers to remove permissions from firms when they are not carrying out the regulated activities they are permitted to. The FCA has since undertaken a ‘use it or lose it’ exercise, removing firms’ permissions where they are not carrying out regulated activities. This has seen the FCA carry out 1,090 assessments in 2021/22 and resulted in 264 firms applying to voluntarily cancel, and a further 47 to modify, their permission to carry out regulated activities. Ministers regularly engage with the FCA on a range of issues while recognising that the independence of the FCA is critical to its functions.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners' Transfers: Albania

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effectiveness of the Prisoner Transfer Agreement with Albania.

Damian Hinds: A new Prisoner Transfer Agreement with Albania came into force in May 2022.In May 2023, we announced a complementary arrangement whereby the UK Government has agreed to provide support to modernise and expand the Albanian prison system and in return Albania has agreed to accept the return of up to 200 Albanian Nationals currently serving sentences of 4 years or more in the UK.The arrangement will save taxpayers’ money, as it is cheaper to house prisoners in Albania than in England and Wales, and will also free up capacity in our prisons.We expect to see the first transfers under this agreement later this year. The deal builds on the prisoner transfer agreement signed between the UK and Albania in 2021, which came into force in May 2022. This implementation package will ensure Albania has the right processes and prison capacity in place, meaning transfers can now proceed at pace.Albanians are the most common nationality in the Foreign National Offender population, making up approximately 14% of the total Foreign National Offender prison population. Between January 2021 and December 2022, 1,484 Albanian FNOs were removed from the UK (from custody and the community).

Prisons: Education

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer on 28 June 2023 to Question 190933 on Prisons: Education, whether Treasury guidance on the application of Fair Deal Pensions policy will be circulated to relevant stakeholders before the conclusion of the Prisoner Education Service tendering process.

Damian Hinds: Following the procurement process, the Ministry of Justice expects to award new contracts for Prison Education in Autumn 2024. The MoJ will circulate the relevant HMT guidance, including any updates on the application of Fair Deal Pensions policy, to stakeholders at all stages of the procurement.

Ipsos MORI

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the contract agreed by his Department with Ipsos (Market Research) Limited on 5 June 2023, procurement reference 336036/1227987, if he will publish (a) the deliverables specified in Annex F of that contract and (b) the (i) multiple choice and (ii) other questions asked in the public survey procured through that contract.

Mike Freer: In line with the Government Social Research (GSR) protocol, the intention is that the findings from this research will be published on GOV.UK, following independent peer review and quality assurance. This publication would include the content from the deliverables that will be provided by Ipsos (Market Research) as well as details of the experiment (including questions).

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Recreation Spaces: Romford

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is undertaking to (a) protect and (b) enhance green spaces in Romford constituency.

Dehenna Davison: Parks and green spaces in Romford and across the UK are integral to communities' wellbeing, as well as their physical and mental health. Parks also contribute economic benefits to the local area.The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025, with all areas of the UK receiving an allocation via a funding formula rather than competition.Through the Levelling Up Parks Fund we have made available £9 million in equal grants for local authorities in areas which rate highly on the Index of Multiple Deprivation, to create or significantly refurbish green spaces.

Buildings: Hendon

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate his Department has made of the number of properties in Hendon constituency that require building safety works.

Lee Rowley: As of 31 May 2023, a total of 15 residential buildings over 18 metres in height in the constituency of Hendon have been identified as still having unsafe Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding awaiting removal or have been deemed eligible for the Building Safety Fund due to the presence of unsafe non-ACM cladding.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Remote Working

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the civil service headquarters occupancy data, updated on 6 July 2023, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of occupancy rates on his Department's performance during June 2023.

Dehenna Davison: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 187694 on 13 June 2023.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Dahua Technology and Hikvision

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether their Department has purchased products manufactured by (a) Hikvision and (b) Dahua in the last three years.

Dehenna Davison: As has been the case under successive administrations, it is not government policy to comment on the government’s security arrangements. This includes any specific details regarding the make and model of security systems, which are withheld on national security grounds.However, I refer the Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement (UIN HCWS386) made by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 24 November 2022.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Artificial Intelligence

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what (a) algorithmic and (b) other automated decision making systems his Department uses; and for what purposes.

Dehenna Davison: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities does not use algorithmic and other automated decision making systems that make decisions without any human involvement Government’s Roadmap to a Digital Future includes digital transformation in Government by “automating manual processes”. The Department continues to automate manual processes in order to drive greater efficiency and deliver maximum value for the taxpayer.

Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land Fund

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent progress his Department has made on releasing funds from the Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land Fund to Homes England.

Rachel Maclean: Announcements will be set out in the usual way.

Land: Public Sector

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making it his policy to give local authorities first refusal on all sales of public land.

Rachel Maclean: Cabinet Office will shortly extend the priority notice period alerting local authorities when central government land becomes available in their area.

Renters (Reform) Bill

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what the (a) business and (b) social net present value is of the impact of the policies enacted through the Renters (Reform) Bill which do not require secondary legislation.

Rachel Maclean: The Impact Assessment for the Renters (Reform) Bill sets out the Net Present Social Value and impacts on business for all the policies in the Bill, including those which do not require secondary legislation. The full Impact Assessment can be found here.

Social Rented Housing: Greater London

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent steps he has taken to help ensure the adequacy of the supply of social housing in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield and (c) London.

Rachel Maclean: The Greater London Authority has responsibility for delivering Affordable Housing in London, with a delegation of £4 billion to invest in new housing from the £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme.Our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme will deliver thousands of affordable homes to rent and to buy right across the country, including thousands of new homes for social rent.Between 2010 and 2022, they delivered 131,787 affordable homes in London, including 38,657 homes for social rent, 35,372 homes for affordable rent and 8,124 homes for London affordable rent.Between 2010 and 2022, they delivered 3,916 affordable homes in the London Borough of Enfield, including 1,082 homes for social rent, 883 homes for affordable rent and 376 homes for London affordable rent.We do not collect data at a constituency level.

Retail Trade: Empty Property

Jane Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans for High Street Rental Auctions to come into effect.

Dehenna Davison: High Street Rental Auctions policy will come into effect as soon as possible after Royal Assent of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill.

Ministry of Defence

Envoy IV aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was the cost to the public purse of painting the fuselages of in service Envoy IV aircraft in the Royal Air Force since 1 June 2022.

James Cartlidge: The cost of the livery applied to the aircraft after it entered service was included in the Full Business Case approval costs of the Envoy aircraft, so was at no additional cost to the Defence budget.

Ministry of Defence: CK Hutchison Holdings

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether her Department has held meetings with representatives of CK Hutchison in the last 12 months.

James Cartlidge: Whilst this information is not held centrally, we have not identified any meetings between Ministry of Defence (MOD) and CK Hutchison in the last 12 months. I can confirm that the MOD holds no contracts with CK Hutchison.

Air Force: Electric Vehicles

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2023 to Question 191262 on Air Force: Motor Vehicles, if he will list the countries where Battery Electric Vehicles have been purchased.

James Cartlidge: The 'white fleet' is a pool of vehicles leased, rather than purchased, through the Phoenix II contract. Therefore I am unable to provide details of the countries where the Battery Electric Vehicles referred to in the answer to Question 191262 have been purchased.Air Force: Motor Vehicles (docx, 23.4KB)

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on taking steps to improve ethnic diversity as part of (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force recruitment programmes since 2019.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Defence is a modern and inclusive employer with people at its core. It offers supportive policies that enable everyone, irrespective of background, to have a rewarding and varied career. The Armed Forces are committed to attracting, retaining and developing the best talent from the broadest diversity of skills and background, to reflect the society we serve. This includes undertaking a wide range of activities to increase the number of ethnic minority recruits into the Armed Forces, through better understanding and greater engagement with ethnic minority communities, reviewing recruitment processes and better targeted marketing and communications towards potential ethnic minority applicants. The Army does not spend money on specifically targeting ethnic minorities within their recruitment programmes, but they are considering it for future programmes to ensure they meet their levels of ambition for diverse recruitment. At present, Army recruitment programmes concentrate on mass attraction and utilise diverse representation aimed at appealing to all potential joiners, including ethnic minorities. It is not possible to attribute a cost to Royal Navy spend on campaigns aimed at diversifying their recruitment as Royal Navy recruitment is inclusive by design and does not specifically target diversity. Royal Air Force (RAF) recruitment routinely extends an element of its marketing budget to reach targeted audiences within ethnic minority communities across all media platforms, such as community TV, radio, print, social media etc. The cost of this for each year since 2019 is detailed in the table below: RAF spend by Financial Year (FY) on recruitment activity targeted at ethnic minority communitiesFY2019-20£370,920.00FY2020-21£154,665.00FY2021-22£921,110.93FY2022-23£312,964.08

Veterans: Identity Cards

Dave Doogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of veterans who left the armed forces before 2018 have been issued with a Veteran's ID card.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Veterans' Recognition Scheme has a two-phase rollout. Phase one is complete; with all Service leavers since December 2018 automatically receiving a recognition card as part of the discharge process.Phase two aims to extend access to the recognition card scheme to veterans who left their service before December 2018. The Government remains committed to delivering recognition cards to veterans and will begin issuing cards by the end of this year. The MOD is currently determining how best to achieve this, working with veterans and other stakeholders.As phase two has not yet launched, no cards have been issued to any veterans who left Service prior to December 2018.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Afghans eligible under (a) Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and (b) Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme are currently waiting to be transferred to (i) Pakistan (ii) Iran (iii) Turkey.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Afghans eligible under (a) Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and (b) Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme are under the age of 18 and waiting to be transferred to (i) Pakistan (ii) Iran (iii) Turkey.

James Heappey: We estimate there are 255 individuals with confirmed ARAP eligibility in Afghanistan (an estimated 1,950 including family members). All Principal applicants are over 18. We are unable to provide a demographic breakdown of family members.Supporting the relocation of ARAP eligible persons out of Afghanistan and into the safety of third countries is a top priority. We are unable to provide details on onward travel or third country destinations for operational security reasons.The hon. Member should note that the Afghan Citizen's Resettlement Scheme is a separate scheme to ARAP, which is administered by the Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and is a Home Office lead overall.

Warrior Vehicles

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the out-of-service date is for the Warrior armoured vehicle.

James Cartlidge: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the previous Minister for Defence Procurement (Alex Chalk) on 17 January 2023 to Question 120882 to the right hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Kevan Jones).Warrior Vehicles (docx, 22.5KB)

Ministry of Defence: Royal Household

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of his Department's personnel have held a position in the Royal Household in each of the last five years; and if he will provide a breakdown of those figures by service.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Personnel appointed to the Royal HouseholdYearRoyal Navy PersonnelArmy PersonnelRoyal Air Force PersonnelOpen Option PersonnelTotal20192813142020281314202128131420222812132023281213

Envoy IV aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions has the Envoy IV aircraft been used by Ministers for official purposes since 1 June 2022; and which Ministers have used it.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Since 1 June 2022, the Envoy aircraft of the Command Support Air Transport fleet have been tasked to carry Ministers for official purposes 74 times. Each task can include a number of separate legs. Envoy flights were tasked for the following Ministers:The Prime MinisterForeign SecretaryChancellor of the ExchequerSecretary of State for DefenceSecretary of State for Culture Media and SportMinister for Armed ForcesMinister for Defence Procurement

Veterans

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the comments by the Minister for Veterans' Affairs in The Guardian and other media on 4 July 2023 resulted in complaints to his Department.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The requested information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Complaints, from both internal and external parties, can be received at many levels within the Department, and at varying degrees of formality, which are not collated centrally. The exercise required to retrieve this information would incur disproportionate cost.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: CK Hutchison Holdings

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has held meetings with representatives of CK Hutchison in the last 12 months.

Sir John Whittingdale: Details of Ministers and Permanent Secretaries meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.Published declarations include the purpose of the meeting and the names of any additional external organisations or individuals in attendance.

Electronic Cigarettes: Advertising

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to ban vaping advertising.

Sir John Whittingdale: The Government currently has no plans to legislate to ban the advertising of vaping products.The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is responsible for regulating advertising in the UK. The ASA already has rules in place that prohibit adverts for nicotine-containing vapes not licensed as medicines from appearing on TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and periodicals, online, and in commercial emails and text messages. Only a small number of nicotine-containing vaping adverts are permitted, and the ASA requires all vaping advertising to be socially responsible and not be placed in media targeted at under-18s or in media where more than 25% of its audience is under-18.

King Charles III: Anniversaries

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2023 to Question 191534 on King Charles III: Anniversaries, whether she plans further celebrations for the King’s 75th birthday in November 2023.

Stuart Andrew: I refer the Hon. Member to the reply given to the Hon. Member for Romford on 11 July 2023, PQ UIN 192024.

Sports Competitors: Anxiety

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on anxiety in sport.

Stuart Andrew: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has not had discussions with the Secretary of State for Health on this specific issue however both departments work closely on tackling anxiety and wider mental health issues in sport.To date DCMS’s arm’s length body, Sport England, have invested over £8 million in projects related to tackling mental health in sport. They work closely with mental health organisations such as Mind and Rethink to encourage people to get active to improve their mental health.Sport England also works with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities to deliver the Moving Healthcare Professionals programme which supports healthcare professionals to promote physical activity to patients.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Dahua Technology and Hikvision

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether their Department has purchased products manufactured by (a) Hikvision and (b) Dahua in the last three years.

Sir John Whittingdale: As has been the case under successive administrations, it is not government policy to comment on the government’s security arrangements. This includes any specific details regarding the make and model of security systems, which are withheld on national security grounds.Whilst each Department is responsible for their own procurement decisions, I would refer the Hon. member to the Written Ministerial Statement made by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, which noted that departments had been instructed to take a series of actions relating to surveillance equipment subject to the National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic of China. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has been implementing this policy along with other protective security controls.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Data Protection and Digital Information (No. 2) Bill: HIV Infection

David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Data Protection and Digital Information (No.2) Bill on people living with HIV.

David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if the Information Commissioner’s Office will publish guidance for (a) employers, (b) health and social care settings and (c) police forces on sharing data about a person's HIV status.

David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has had recent discussions with the Information Commissioner’s Office on the adequacy of the guidance provided on their website for (a) identifying and (b) reporting breaches of data protection law related to personal health data.

Sir John Whittingdale: The UK’s data protection legislation requires all organisations to process personal data lawfully, fairly, transparently and securely. There are stricter conditions and safeguards in relation to processing of personal data relating to people’s health.The Data Protection and Digital Information (no. 2) Bill does not remove or amend these foundational principles. Instead, it builds on the existing elements of the legislation to make it more ambitious and innovation-friendly, while still underpinned by secure and trustworthy data standards.The ICO already has published guidance for organisations on the use of special category data, but it has recently been made aware of concerns linked to the inappropriate sharing of personal health data, including the HIV status of individuals. It is currently engaging with the organisations involved to understand these issues further. It has indicated that it will take the necessary steps to ensure that it supports and advises relevant organisations about sharing sensitive information, and that it is clear in its guidance about identifying and reporting breaches linked to health data.

Attorney General

Stalking: Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2023 to Question 125375 on Stalking, how many prosecutions were commenced into offences of stalking in financial year 2022/23.

Michael Tomlinson: The data for the financial year 2022/23 will be available from 20 July 2023 on the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) website in line with CPS quarterly data publications.